Armstrong Spallumcheen Healthcare Auxiliary Donates $101,900 to VJH Foundation

A generous donation of $101,900 from the Armstrong Spallumcheen Healthcare Auxiliary will assist the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation in meeting many health care needs throughout the North Okanagan.“VJHF Board of Directors wishes to thank the wonderful volunteers and everyone involved with the Armstrong/Spallumcheen Healthcare Auxiliary for their longstanding commitment to supporting diverse and vital health care needs in the North Okanagan,” said Sue Beaudry, VJH Foundation Director of Development.The funds will support three important local unfunded health care needs, as well as the 2014 Light a Bulb Campaign, including:

• $16,500 for an ECG Cardiograph for the Enderby Community Healthcare Lab
• $16,100 for a Computer Console Upgrade for the Armstrong X-Ray Lab
• $19,300 to purchase a Bladder Scanner for Pleasant Valley Manor in Armstrong
• $50,000 for Light A Bulb, which is supporting the Building a Tower of Care Campaign, Phase II to equip and furnish the 6^th and 7^th floors of Polson Tower at VJH.

The funds are raised through the Auxiliary’s Bargain Bin Thrift Shop located at 3445 Pleasant Valley Boulevard in Armstrong.  Community members donate clothing and household items, which are then sold at affordable prices, with all proceeds benefiting local health care.“We live in such a caring and generous community,” said Auxiliary President Maureen Karran.  “Through the dedication of our volunteers and community members who support the Bargain Bin, we are able to give back in a significant way.”The Bargain Bin is operated by a dedicated group of more than 60 volunteers who spend an annual 24,000 hours processing donations, selling merchandise and operating the store.Since its first donation to VJH Foundation in 1996, Armstrong Spallumcheen Healthcare Auxiliary has generously donated a total of $875,210 to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation to purchase vital medical equipment for various healthcare needs throughout the North Okanagan.Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation is a charitable society that supports health care in the North Okanagan by raising funds for Residential Care Facilities, Community Health Services and Vernon Jubilee Hospital.Its geographical area includes Armstrong, Coldstream, Enderby, Falkland, Lumby, Spallumcheen and Vernon. Other specialized health services include the Lions Vision Centre in Armstrong, which cares for patients from Lake Country to the Shuswap.Armstrong/Spallumcheen HealthCare Association (A/SHA) is a member of the British Columbia Association of Hospital Auxiliaries (BCAHA), which includes many of the healthcare auxiliaries throughout the province.  The Auxiliary began in 1934 to mend sheets and gowns for the local hospital and has grown to provide financial assistance for local health care initiatives.