The Bonnyville Health Foundation pulled out all the stops to give the community a sunset symphony they won't soon forget.
Over 800 supporters filled a transformed Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre on Saturday, Feb. 17, for the 21st annual health foundation gala.
“When we entered the hall, my wife and I were thoroughly impressed with the layout. Just the volunteer effort and the community support is simply outstanding. I think it shows a real appreciation for the hospital in Bonnyville and for the physicians that are here,” said Ed Stelmach, chair of Covenant Health.
Guests were welcomed with champagne and appetizers by a few of the Jr. A Pontiacs, before being treated to a performance by the Bonnyville Community Band.
Once again, representatives of the healthcare centre were floored by the support for the gala, as people from across the Lakeland filled every last seat.
“I've worked in many communities in my lifetime, and there is no other like Bonnyville, none,” expressed Bonnyville Covenant Health Centre site administrator Alex Smyl. “All of our volunteers worked so hard to make tonight happen. Everybody chips in and goes beyond the call of duty to make this happen, and because of that, we've served 800 people tonight without a hitch.”
After enjoying a gourmet dinner, attendees settled in for a live auction packed with 16 prizes.
With the help of volunteer auctioneer Marc Jubinville, and a set of enthusiastic bid catchers, the health foundation raised over $40,000 from the auction alone. While they're still tallying up the final numbers, Smyl explained they dwarfed their original fundraising goals.
“We were sitting around $85,000 before the live auction, and there will be more donations throughout the night. We won't know right away how much we raised, but we know we're going to far exceed our goal of $100,000.”
Using donations from last year's gala, the local health foundation was able to open one of rural Alberta's only endoscopy and colposcopy wings, as well as improve doctor recruitment.
Like every year, the funds will be spread by the foundation among health-driven community organizations, with the majority this year going towards equipment for the orthopedic ward.
“In larger centres, you may raise funds through a telethon, or something like that, but you don't see this type of community support. The physicians and the hospital's staff really appreciate that; it goes a long way,” said Stelmach. “We're so fortunate because we're doing things here, in terms of procedures, many rural communities don't have.”
Once everything, including the hall's chandeliers, was auctioned off, residents danced the night away to live entertainment.
For Smyl, this was his last gala as a staff member at the Bonnyville hospital. He's set to retire this spring after 21 years in the community.
Having played an integral role at the local hospital for over two decades, Smyl reflected, with pride, on the success of the gala and healthcare in Bonnyville.
“When my predecessor was on the board, their dream was to bring services to the people. That's what we're doing today,” Smyl expressed. “With the number of specialists and physicians we have, and even from the recruitment perspective, there is no other community as successful as ours.”
