The Sheep River Health Trust kicked off a fundraising campaign supporting health and wellness projects in the Foothills area.
On April 6, the health trust received a $5,000 cheque from Century 21 Foothills to go toward upgrades to health facilities in Okotoks and Black Diamond. The donation is the first of many the health trust expects to bring in this week with its annual radio-thon fundraiser.
Tanya Thorn, fund development officer at Sheep River Health Trust, said the funds will go towards remodelling the tub room at Oilfields General Hospital and adding two private rooms in the urgent care at the Okotoks Health and Wellness Centre, as well as supporting several local organizations.
“We have two major projects and six others,” said
Thorn said the tub room upgrade is expected to cost $135,000 and additional rooms at urgent care will be around $45,000.
The additional six projects the health trust will focus on include providing home care nurses with much needed health monitoring equipment, and expanding the Leading the Change program with Rowan House Emergency Shelter to target young males and break the cycle of violence.
Other projects are the increase of access to Sibsubs Training, which is a peer support and education program for siblings of children and youth with disabilities, with Foothills SNAPS.
As well as, ensure newborns in families in need have access to a safe sleeping environment by providing convertible cribs through It Takes a Village and support the accessible playground in Turner Valley and helping KidSport ensure that all kids can play in the fall.
Thorn said there is no target date set for when they plan to start working on the projects.
“As soon as we have approved funds for said project we will kick-off said project, so it could be after Thursday next week if the radio-thon goes well,” said thorn.
Carla Ralph, site manager for acute and long-term care at Oilfields General Hospital, said the transformation of the tub room is part of what the hospital is calling its home projects, happy, comfortable and meaningful environment.
“About 80 to 90 per cent of our population in long-term care is often suffering from some form of dementia,” asid Ralph. “Once they lose their memory and a lot of their ability to rationalize, what they trust is their feelings so it’s very important for us to have an environment that triggers that safe, secure, meaningful space where they feel very cared for and don’t have to worry about their security.”
Blair Gordon, owner of Century 21 Foothills, said he decided to support Sheep River Health Trust because it is an extension of being part of a community.
“We are donating $5,000 [per year] over the next three years and this is our second year,” said Gordon.
The health trust’s annual Together We Make a Difference Radio-thon with the Eagle 100.9 FM in support of local health and wellness initiatives takes place April 13 at Okotoks Sobeys from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
