hospital seeking to fund new van
Community Relations Coordinator,
Boundary Community Hospital
For the eighteenth year, Boundary County residents will be celebrating the Christmas season with a gift to the community by supporting the Festival of Trees. This year, funds raised at the Festival of Trees go toward the purchase of a 15-passenger van for Boundary Community Hospital.
Many
local people have major surgery at hospitals
outside Boundary County, then come back home to
Boundary Community Hospital for recuperation,
often including physical therapy. In many cases,
the hospital van is their only means of
transport. The hospital van is also used on a
regular basis for taking residents from the
Extended Care Facility to medical appointments
and social events. The current van, purchased by Fry Healthcare Foundation almost 16 years ago, needs to be replaced. This is a major purchase. Last year, the Board of Directors of Fry Healthcare Foundation made a decision to designate funds from their largest annual fundraiser, the Festival of Trees, to replace the van.
Additionally, the funds from the 2014 Annual Golf Tournament, almost $7,500, held last June at Mirror Lake Golf Course, are helping with the anticipated purchase. Given the funds already raised at the Golf Tournament, the Fry Healthcare Foundation is on track to complete the van project at this year's Festival of Trees.
In addition to Golf Tournament sponsorships, the community raised money by purchasing entries in the Great Golf Ball Drop. Life Flight Network Helicopters donated a large screen SMART TV to be given to the entrant of the Great Golf Ball Drop whose golf ball rolled the closest to hole #9. When the pre-numbered golf balls tumbled to the ground and inched their way towards the magic ninth hole, the crowd, who had just finished a delicious steak dinner, was standing on the deck of the golf course club house in fervent anticipation of winning. The ecstatic winner was Sherry Whitson, who had purchased her ticket while on duty at Kootenai River Brewing Company and Restaurant.
Now the 2014 Festival of Trees committee volunteers are working toward
completing the fund for purchasing a needed new
van.The Festival of Trees is open to the entire community.
Family Night is Friday, December 12. All the trees will be lit, musicians performing, and Santa will be there for photos with all good boys and girls.
Gala Night, the following night, on Saturday, December 13, is for adults. Tickets to this fun evening, which includes dinner and both a silent and a live auction, are $35.
People leave Gala Night with valued treasures including airplane tickets, tickets to regional and national ball games, camping gear, decorated trees, and more. Corporations, businesses of all sizes, and individuals sponsor the event by giving monetary gifts ranging from $100 to $1500. Other friends give items for the auction. Donations are now being collected. Call Linda Hiatt, Fry Healthcare Foundation president at (208) 267-4017, Teresa Rae, Festival of Trees Chair (208) 946-6582, or Marcia Morman, at Boundary Community Hospital, (208) 267-6912, with donations.
Tickets are available at Riverside Auto, Boundary Community Hospital in the patient financial services office, online at fryhealthcarefoundation.org, or by calling (208) 267-6922.