By paNOW Staff

Radio bingo a big boost for Victoria Hospital Foundation

Jul 30, 2013 | 11:57 AM

A weekly radio bingo program has become a major part of the Victoria Hospital Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

Since it began in February 2009, the program has raised more than $300,000 for medical equipment used in the Victoria Hospital. “Ultimately the beneficiary is the patients or the people that use the Victoria Hospital,” said Victoria Hospital Foundation executive director Rob Dalziel.

One of the major equipment upgrades, funded by the bingo broadcast, eventually allowed the hospital to add a fourth operating room, which had a dramatic effect on patient care, said Dalziel. “If you’re on a waiting list and there are four operating rooms instead of three, that’s got to have an impact.”

Over the last several years, the funds raised have also helped the hospital purchase new anesthetic machines, which are used to monitor patients during operations and chemical analyzers, which allow the hospital to handle a million tests a year for patients all around the region.

The new equipment also has a morale boosting effect on hospital staff, said Dalziel. “When these professionals have modern, reliable, high-technology equipment, it allows them to do what they’re trained to do and that’s help people.”

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The Victoria Hospital Foundation works with Kin Enterprises to package and produce the game cards that are used in conjunction with the broadcast. They are sold across central and northern Saskatchewan for $5.

Since 2009, sales of the weekly game packs have surpassed $700,000 and winners have been paid a total of $333,876.32. The rest of the money has gone towards the equipment upgrades for Victoria Hospital and overhead costs for the radio program.

It airs every Thursday at 7 p.m. on 900 CKBI in Prince Albert, 95.9 FM in La Ronge and 92.5 FM in Big River.

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