Day of Giving supporting cancer care in Kelowna raises over $927K

Day of Giving numbers in

Photo: KGH Foundation

The numbers are in for the KGH Day of Giving.

The eighth annual charity event raised $927,707.07 in a one day call to action.

“Every gift helps. And every gift is a building block supporting better cancer care here at KGH and in our community,” says Allison Young, CEO of KGH Foundation.

Many people whose lives have been touched by cancer turned out to donate and share their stories.

“A cancer diagnosis is unnerving. It just pulls the rug out from underneath you. But as we continue to advance cancer care here at KGH and in our community through initiatives like the KGH Day of Giving, we can have the peace of mind in knowing that if this disease touches you or someone you love, you will be under the best care, close to home,” said Debbie Robert, who lost her husband Leo to cancer last year.

Robert along with hundreds of community members in the Central Okanagan, showed their support for advancements in Cancer Care at KGH in the areas of medical imaging, pathology, surgical oncology and innovation. Thanks to six generous, local families, all gifts were matched up until midnight.

“The generosity and support of this community never ceases to amaze me,” says Allison Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation.

“It is so heartwarming to put out the call for support and to have so many people and local businesses answer with a resounding – yes, we’ll help, whether that’s through a monetary gift, a gift of time, or a gift of story. We are so grateful for the support, and so are our health care staff at KGH.”

Lindsay Taberner, executive director of clinical operations for KGH, says the support from the community is exciting. "It supports our ability to come together and bring forward new ideas and plans to facilitate real change that has an impact for cancer care patients now and into the future. It is both incredibly touching and exciting."

Since its inception eight years ago, and including today’s total, KGH Day of Giving has raised over $5.4 million in support of Kelowna General Hospital and community health care initiatives such as Foundry Kelowna, JoeAnna’s House and the acquisition of a 3T MRI for KGH.

The ongoing success of the annual fundraiser is a testament to the care, enthusiasm and generosity of the community, businesses and frontline caregivers to come together in support of a shared goal.