Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation’s Winter Campaign Surpasses $2.1 Million, Advancing Critical Healthcare for Vancouver Island
NANAIMO, BC – January 20, 2025, The Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation (NDHF) is thrilled to announce the remarkable success of its Winter Campaign, which raised over $2.1 million between November 15 and January 15—far surpassing its $1.5 million goal.
This extraordinary achievement came despite significant challenges, including the Canada Post strike, which disrupted the collection of mailed donations.
With the incredible support of over 1,640 donors, the winter campaign helped fund vital medical equipment that will have an immediate and lasting impact on patient care at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH), including:
- Maternity/NICU: 6 Giraffe Omnibed Incubators, a NICU Transfer Stretcher to safely transport fragile newborns, and a fetal monitor.
- Cancer Care: A Holmium Laser to revolutionize prostate and urological cancer treatment.
- Rehabilitation: High-Intensity Rehab Unit equipment, including 2 Neurological Tables and an EVA Pneumatic Support Walker.
In addition to these advancements, the Foundation made significant progress toward its $2.9 million fundraising goal for a SPECT/CT machine, a critical tool for advanced imaging and diagnostics. $650,000 has already been raised toward this life-changing equipment through the winter campaign, and donations are still being added through mail returns being received daily, now that the postal strike is over.
A Record-Breaking Digital Campaign
The campaign’s success was bolstered by an engaging digital strategy that drove record Giving Tuesday results, raising over $500,000. The highlight of this effort was a heartfelt video featuring NRGH’s own NICU team shared on social media, showcasing the impact of donor contributions and inspiring the community to act. The video garnered over 61,000 views and was shared over 500 times reaching over 33,000 accounts through the single video asset.
Highlights of the Campaign
The campaign’s success is a testament to the creativity, resilience, and generosity of the community that pivoted as the Foundation flexed their creativity in face of the postal strike. Key campaign moments included:
- A festive phone-a-thon, where Foundation staff reached out to donors directly.
- Heartwarming donor visits at NRGH, where supporters saw firsthand how their contributions are making a difference.
- Holiday cheer as NDHF staff personally picked up donations from donors across the region.
- Hosting hundreds of supporters at the annual Light the Trees event and three Donor Appreciation events.
“Making Lemonade Out of Lemons”
“This campaign is proof that when challenges arise, our community steps up. The postal strike could have derailed us, but instead, our donors shone even brighter—literally lighting up the hospital grounds and funding critical equipment that will transform healthcare,” said Barney Ellis Perry, NDHF CEO. “We’ve made incredible progress, but there’s still work to do. To fully fund the SPECT/CT machine, we need the community’s continued support. We know together we will reach our overarching goal.”
Donations for the SPECT/CT are still needed, and gifts can be made through the website, in person, or returning foundation direct mail. All donations received by Feb 28, 2025 will be tax deductible for the 2024 tax year.
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About Nanaimo Hospital Foundation
The Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation was founded to support Island Health facilities. Today, we are raising millions to support our region’s healthcare facilities by leading major fundraising campaigns for critical medical equipment, construction projects and programs that provide the best and highest level of healthcare to the residents on central and north Vancouver Island.
Learn more: https://nanaimohospitalfoundation.com
Media Contact:
Andrea Bava
778-908-1764 | andrea@blitzme.ca
