After a speedy fundraising campaign that's lasted less than two years, the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation has reached its $100-million goal in order to help pay for a new medical and surgical centre in North Vancouver.
Judy Savage, president and CEO of the foundation, which functions as the hospital’s fundraising arm, made the announcement during the annual North Shore Health Care Awards held earlier today.
“It feels tremendous. It just further reinforces for us the pride that our community has in our hospital. This truly was a community-wide effort,” Savage told the North Shore News.
Plans for the new patient tower were officially given final approval by the province in September, following a fundraising campaign that initially launched in February 2017 after local entrepreneur and North Shore resident Paul Myers donated $25 million to replace the hospital’s current and aging acute care tower at the corner of 13th Street and St. Georges Avenue.
“We had well over 6,000 donors. A lot of $25 donations, $50 donations, $100 donations,” said Savage. “We had kids who had birthday parties and asked that instead of somebody giving them a gift they made a donation – that’s huge for kids to do that.”
The campaign has raised a total of $100,337,740, according to foundation communications manager Yolanda Brooks.
The cost of the new medical and surgical centre is slated to be $166 million, with the foundation contributing $100 million to construction and the province, through Vancouver Coastal Health, adding another $66 million.
“We have a very small foundation team of staff. What really helped drive this campaign was an enthusiastic team of more than 200 volunteers,” said Savage. “Every donation comes with a story. There was so many people that sent in notes saying that their mother used to work at the Lions Gate Hospital, or they’ve been cared for here, a family member was here, and those donations really represented people wanting to express their gratitude.”
The new six-storey acute care facility will feature 108 single-patient rooms and eight state-of-the-art operating rooms, according to a news release from the foundation.
Work on the new facility is scheduled to begin next year with completion expected by 2023.
