As it wraps up its annual Avenue of Trees event, the Sheep River Health Trust should be able to pay for its portable ultrasound machine.
This year’s live and silent tree auctions brought in $13,000, which was down from the $19,000 the event made last year. There were also 11 fewer participants than in 2018, which made an impact on the bottom line.
“And I think you can factor the economy into that as well this year,” said Candice Wyma, fund development co-ordinator for the health trust.
However, she said although no trees hit high bids upwards of $800 to $1,000 this year, most of the live auction trees went for around $500, making the auction balance out with similar number to previous events.
She said 11 of the trees purchased from live and silent auctions were donated back to the community, and will be delivered to families in need who were nominated to receive a fully-decorated Christmas tree.
There were also 686 families who came to sit on Santa’s lap and have photos taken for $50 per session, which classifies as a sell-out as all slots were booked, she said.
“Overall we were happy,” said Wyma. “It didn’t look the same as in previous years but it was still a successful event.”
And it’s still an event local businesses and organizations are proud to participate in.
Coun. Jason Parker said Foothills County has decorated a Christmas tree every year since one of its earliest years. He said the County is pleased to help out an organization that does so much for its residents.
“So many of our residents benefit from the things the health trust does, so we’re so appreciative to give, and grateful to be able to contribute,” said Parker. “To be able to see people enjoy the trees and donate them back is just such a great experience for so many families that are in need over the holiday season.
“It’s just a great event all around.”
Mitchell said unpredictability of the auction event is one reason the health trust is grateful to be one of eight charities in this year’s Wheel Cares campaign.
The funds raised from both the Avenue of Trees and Wheel Cares will go toward the purchase of a $64,000 portable ultrasound machine for Okotoks Urgent Care, she said.
It’s a request that came from doctors working at the urgent care centre, she said. With no ultrasound machine in the building, there were many patients being sent to private imaging centres in town or being transported by ambulance to emergency centres in Calgary, she said.
“We were all quite surprised that this was what would have to happen if you were sick, you would have to go to Calgary,” said Mitchell. “We were pretty shocked so it was a no-brainer for our board to support it, because the outcomes for a faster access to ultrasound can really make a difference for diagnosis for a patient.”
It could mean saving time and bringing peace of mind for people who present with abdominal pain, or for pregnant women who visit the emergency room with pain or bleeding concerns, she said.
The machine isn’t very large, she said – about the same size as a modern blood pressure machine. It can be wheeled bedside and used to help diagnose a patient or check on a fetus in a matter of minutes.
Through Alberta Health Services, equipment can be purchased once 75 per cent of funds have been raised, so the machine is already in the building and doctors are training with it now, she said.
There are extra dollars above the $64,000 price tag required for that training, she said. Though some doctors coming out of school recently may have worked with an imaging machine on training rotations, she said not everyone has had that experience.
“Our doctors who have been here for a while haven’t had access to that, so there is some training involved in ultrasound imaging, diagnosis, that kind of thing,” said Mitchell. “We really want to make sure that not only that our current doctors coming to work here at the urgent care centre have that training, that doctors who are interested in working here can use the equipment as well.”
With about $10,000 left on the cost of the machine, she said the Wheel Cares money will likely be put toward the training component of the purchase.
She said there’s an air of excitement around the ultrasound machine as doctors on staff are getting the chance to start using it and get familiar with imaging.
“Lots of doctors and nurses have stopped by and are really excited to see the machine available to them,” said Mitchell.
Other 2019 Western Wheel Cares campaign recipients are Pound Rescue, Foothills Country Hospice, Magic of Christmas, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Inclusion Foothills, Rowan House Emergency Shelter and Okotoks Food Bank.
Donations to the Western Wheel Cares campaign can be made via credit card, debit, cash or cheque (payable to Western Wheel Cares) at #9 McRae Street, mailed to Box 150 Okotoks, AB T1S 2A2 (please do not mail cash) or by calling 403-938-6397. Visit www.okotokstoday.ca to donate using PayPal.
Donations of $10 or more will receive a 2019 official tax receipt at the end of the campaign.
For more information call the Western Wheel office Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 403-938-6397 or email Gayle Wolf at [email protected].
