The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is benefitting from a record-setting Festival of Trees event.
On Tuesday, the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary (PECMHA) presented PECMHF with $80,000, the proceeds raised at its 2024 Festival of Trees held November 29 – December 1 at Isaiah Tubbs Resort.
Of that, $51,000 will be earmarked for PECMHF to purchase two blood analyzers needed in the Emergency Department at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital (PECMH) with the remainder of the funds to go towards purchasing other equipment for the hospital.
Blood analyzers are designed to quickly and reliably provide accurate blood results from a small, whole blood sample to address various conditions, including renal tests, liver function tests, and basic metabolic tests such as glucose, calcium, sodium, and potassium. They can also help in critical situations where hemoglobin is needed for a bleeding patient, to decide on a transfusion.
“Having these analyzers allows Quinte Health’s staff timely access to equipment, particularly when a patient requires a blood test right away,” said Lina Rinaldi, vice president and chief nursing executive at Quinte Health. “These analyzers allow physicians and staff to accurately achieve real-time, lab-quality diagnostic results within minutes rather than hours. These machines streamline the diagnostic process and help ensure patients receive the most timely and efficient care when and where needed.”
This was the auxiliary’s 31st annual Festival of Trees. It is the group’s most significant fundraising project.
Volunteers spent countless hours planning and executing the free event.
“The Festival of Trees committee, along with the PECMHA board and volunteers, extend a heartfelt thank you to Isaiah Tubbs for donating the event space and to the people who donated and bid on the spectacular auction items and purchased baked goods and those who donated their musical talents or bought items from the Second Time Around Shop Christmas boutique,” said Liz Jones, volunteer manager of the Festival of Trees. “Again, this year, our community showed up and was very generous in donating, bidding and buying.”
“We are all so grateful to this generous community for supporting us with their time, entries, donations, attendance and bids, especially as so many are facing financial hardship this year. We exceeded our financial goal and are happy to report that the funds raised will be used to buy priority medical equipment for our local hospital,” said Jones.
As part of the Festival of Trees, the Second Time Around Shop volunteers collect the best donated items throughout the year to sell in their Christmas Boutique.
“Through these contributions, the PECMH Auxiliary is positively impacting the well-being and safety of patients visiting the hospital,” said Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation. “Our patients are fortunate to have such a committed team of volunteers fundraising on their behalf. On average, the staff at PECMH manage over 46,000 patient visits annually. Thanks to our donors, including the PECMH Auxiliary, our dedicated team of Care Champions continues to have access to the equipment and tools they need to provide you and your loved ones with the care you deserve close to home. Community support is important because the government does not pay for medical equipment.”
“The Auxiliary is indebted to many people who have worked enthusiastically and tirelessly to make the Festival of Trees an extraordinary event: our sponsors and donors, the festival committee, our volunteers and friends who worked many hours, all those who baked, and those who visited the Second Time Around Shop boutique,” said Susan Quaiff, president of the PECMH Auxiliary.
The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to raising funds to advance health care for the people of Prince Edward County and patients of the hospital. For more information, visit www.pecmhf.ca.
