Goal finally hit for CT Scanner fundraising campaign
By Nelson Daily Editor
By Timothy Schafer, The Nelson Daily
After years of lobbying and16 months of fundraising, the Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation has done it: They have the money needed for the CT scanner.
With the $1.5 million target for the diagnostic tool now reached, the volunteer fundraising group of the Foundation took a brief look back last week on what they encountered in the campaign.
Goals were initially set to fundraise approximately one third of donations from small donours, one third from more substantial local donations and one third from a few major contributors, said KLH Foundation director and community relations chair Brian May.
A secondary goal was to aim for specific targets every three months with both major announcements and fun events.
“It was a lot of hard work but the community made it happen,” he said. “We knew that right off the bat we would need to pursue both our largest potential donours and our smallest. Each was equally important and we couldn’t waste time.”
In the first month of the campaign some Foundation directors met with the RDCK board to shore up regional support (which they received), while others began to talk about constructing Foundation House (see below).
A further group worked on the small donations by promoting ideas to the business community, starting the $1,000 from 1,000 ad campaign for community groups, and sending out 17,000 brochures.
In the end, donations ranged from $10 to $100,000 and came from every corner of the region and from over 50 community organizations.
Since the CT scanner lobbying began, the Foundation has bought equipment for a new mammography unit, the new maternity ward, and two state-of-the art operating rooms.
The current $15.3 million project for the emergency room upgrade will triple the size of the current department to 9,946 sq. ft to help the hospital handle expected growth in the north Kootenay Lake area.
Foundation House completes CT scanner fundraising projects
As one of the more ambitious aspects of the campaign, Foundation House (1131 McQuarrie Ave. in Rosemont) was a collaborative effort of over 60 contractors, suppliers, and professionals.
The sale of the home (Oct. 29) is expected to generate over $200,000 in donations to the campaign.
“It was the single most significant contribution to the CT Scanner fundraising drive,” said May.
The 1,590 square-foot home has a double garage, full basement, landscaped yard, and a deck overlooking the West Arm of Kootenay Lake.
The project began in June 2009, just as the Foundation’s $1.5 million-campaign began. Following a suggestion by Mayor John Dooley, a formal presentation to city council, and a feasibility study, the Foundation was granted a 66×120-foot closed road right-of-way lot with an appraised value of $120,000.
The City added a further $27,000 in value to the CT campaign by providing permits and service hook-ups.
Before the City had considered the Foundation’s request, two major partners, the Selkirk College construction program and Harmony Homes, had agreed to provide labour and development expertise to the project.
Those commitments led to further interest and support from members of the building industry and, by early October, the site had been cleared and construction was underway.
Over the next 11 months of construction the project benefited from the expertise of the best contractors and suppliers in the local construction industry, said May. Some supplied free materials, some have contributed labour, many provided discounts wherever they could, and still others have made straight donations to the project.
As well, the design will be the first home in Nelson to meet the federal Energuide80 requirements which will be included in the new BC Building Code. While construction meets the highest standards in insulation and electrical design, it also meets the highest standards in heat systems.
The home will have a ground source heat system which includes 400-foot deep thermal wells. FortisBC and Nelson Hydro have agreed to contribute the geothermal conversion furnace. A Heat Recovery Ventilator connected to the in-floor heating will in turn help cool the home.
Other unique features include sprinklers and a wired-in fire alarm system. The energy and cost savings to the new owner are expected to set the standard for future projects in the area.
The house was listed with all local realtors on MLS at a competitive price in early summer. It will officially transfer on Oct. 29,, bringing the community’s largest fundraising effort to a close.
Source: Kootenay Lake Hospital Foundation
