Even a postal strike was not enough to dampen our community’s unprecedented response to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation’s annual Light A Bulb campaign.
Light A Bulb raises more than $1 Million to expand Ultrasound department at VJH
People donated online, they phoned, and came in person to the Foundation’s office in an outpouring of generosity that resulted in more than $1 million raised towards a new and expanded Ultrasound department at VJH.
“To say we were blown away by this outpouring of generosity is truly an understatement,” says Kate McBrearty, VJH Foundation Executive Director. “This is historic. Thank you just doesn’t seem enough – but I’ll say it anyway – thank you. We are humbled, inspired and awed by what we witnessed this holiday season.”
McBrearty was especially touched by the community’s response on GivingTuesday (December 3rd). A record-breaking $559,775 was donated in just one day. Kurt and Jutta Knuever kicked-off this groundswell of support with a matching gift of $250,000, which motivated many to give. Many donors were inspired by Tania Robinson, a young mother in our community who courageously shared her cancer journey. Tania was thrilled to be a part of helping the Foundation beat their GivingTuesday record.
A surprise anonymous matching donation also added to the excitement on that day, tripling the impact of the first $30,000 raised.
“GivingTuesday was such an exciting day for us! The phones were literally ringing off the hook and we welcomed 72 people who came by in person to drop off their donation,” says McBrearty. “That’s a lot for our little office,” she adds with a chuckle.
“My parents believe in giving locally and they understand what a vital role timely access to medical imaging plays in diagnosis and treatment. At some point we’re all going to need the hospital, so it makes sense. Plus, they’ve seen how matching gifts can inspire our community to get behind a cause,” says the Knuever’s daughter, Ulrike Gibbs. “And it worked! Our whole family was delighted.”
In addition to the $250,000 match for GivingTuesday, the Kneuver’s made a seed donation of $1 million towards the ongoing Ultrasound Expansion project.
Community shares the “why” behind their generosity
Donors not only gave generously, many were also eager to share their reasons for choosing to give to the VJH Foundation.
This year, Foundation staff made a point of asking people why they gave, almost 200 donors replied:
- Many donated in memory of a loved one.
- Almost 40% attributed their donation to the excellent and compassionate care they or their family members received from the doctors, nurses and hospital staff at VJH.
- Other donors connected directly with Tania’s story and her gratitude for having access to quality health care close to home. She received medical imaging at VJH during her cancer journey, which meant she could stay close to home with her son – where it mattered most.
“We were all deeply saddened to find out that Tania passed away over the holidays,” says McBrearty, noting that Tania was beautifully taken care of her in last days at the Vernon Hospice House and passed peacefully, surrounded by love.
With all this inspiring support from the community, the success of the Light A Bulb campaign takes the Foundation one step closer to creating an Ultrasound department with the capacity to meet the needs of patients today, and for the next 20 years.
“We are so lucky to live in a community that understands the power of what can be accomplished when we come together,” says McBrearty. “Every gift matters, no matter the size. I hope everyone is as proud as we are of what we’ve all accomplished together. With deepest gratitude, thank you to everyone that donated and for caring about people in our community that need timely access to imaging.”