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September 2006
Pledge day a huge success for hospice The funds raised at the second annual pledge day for the Foothills Hospice Society on Friday have left organizer Carol Close absolutely speechless.
A total of $87,615 was
raised on Friday – approximately $600 more than last
year — ensuring the event, which was broadcast on local
airwaves, was a huge success.
At 5:57 p.m. a total of
$62,615 was raised until Gord Brost from Scotia Bank
phoned in with a pledge of $25,000 — a move that Close
originally thought was a joke. Funds also trickled in from Kitimat, Frontier, DeWinton, Cayley, Blackie, Nanton, Longview and Brant. “This shows tremendous support from all aspects of the community,” said society board chairman Eric Wasylenko. “It’s very nice for us. It shows the community is committed to caring for their most vulnerable family, friends and neighbours.” Last year’s pledge day raised $87,000 which was used for the construction of the 10,000-square-foot building located northwest of Okotoks off 32nd St. With the hospice expected to open in the spring of 2007, the society is turning its focus to raising operating funds for the first year of operation and will soon be launching another fundraising campaign.
A dollar a day for one year
is what it takes to fund the cost of a hospice resident
for one day. In Alberta, residents of a hospice can’t be
charged for these costs. Through fundraising and donations, the Foothills Country Hospice society has raised close to $3.5 million to date. Once the facility is operational, it will accommodate eight patients and have two family rooms. Half of the beds will be reserved for patients living out the last few months of their lives and the other beds will be for those living with terminal diseases, those who need a break from their home or increased medical care.
March 2006
Hospice Volunteer Belinda Duff hits the big time. Read Belinda's story on the BBC News site. A really great story Belinda. Well done.
February 2006
Construction Begins On Hospice Construction on the Foothills Country Hospice just outside of Okotoks is underway and those who first came up with the idea for a local hospice are overjoyed to watch their vision become a reality.
March 2005 Location of Foothills Hospice Unveiled After keeping mum for two years about the whereabouts of its location, the Foothills Country Hospice Society revealed the preliminary design and site for the new facility at an open house in Okotoks on Feb. 23. The hospice will be built on an 8.4-acre parcel one-half mile north of Okotoks off 32 St., pending approval by the MD of Foothills.
October 2004 2nd Annual General Meeting The Foothills Country Hospice Society held its 2nd AGM on Wed Oct 27/04 at 7:30 pm. Location - Centennial Community Centre, Okotoks (Youth Room), #4, 204 Community Way, Okotoks, AB Agenda:
May 2004
Okotoks - Lions support projects Okotoks Lions Club donates $25,000 to library and hospice
By John Barlow
The Okotoks Lions committed $25,000 each to the expansion of the Okotoks Public Library and the Foothills Hospice Society for the construction of its new facility. At its meeting on April 19 the Lions Club presented their first payment of $5,000 to representatives from the Okotoks Public Library Guild and Foothills Hospice Society. The club will make the payments of $5,000 over five years. Dr. Eric Wasylenko, president of the Foothills Hospice Society, said the support of the Lions Club is a major step towards building a facility in the area. “This is very significant,” he said of the donation. “It is really appreciated. We want the people who live here, the grassroots supporters, to be behind us. “We are really honored to have the Lions supporting us,” he added. Funds for the hospice will be used for furniture and patient care equipment. Response from the library staff was just as overwhelming towards the Lions’ donation. “We are definitely thrilled, this is an amazing gift,” said Caleigh Haworth, acting director of the Okotoks Public Library. Funds for the library have been earmarked for new shelving, furniture and books in the new wing. “We have money for the expansion so it is nice to have money to put books and things in the new area,” said Haworth. Kevin Franson of the Okotoks Lions Club said both projects were worthy of support and the club members were firmly behind the library expansion and the hospice. “The library is something used by a lot of age groups and we have never been approached by the library for funding before,” said Franson of the reasons for supporting the library. As for the hospice Franson explained, “Traditionally, Lions have been older people and the hospice is end of life care — whether you are young or old. “Many people have been touched by (death) and we felt it was important to have something like the hospice in the foothills.” The last time the club made a donation of this magnitude was to the Foothills Centennial Centre which was $50,000 paid in $10,000 installments over five years. The final payment was made this year. Funding for the library and hospice will be raised through fundraising projects such as casinos and revenue from the Lions’ Campground.
September 2006
Hospice Looking For Design Help Society to host tour for would-be designers Oct. 17
By
John Barlow Local homebuilders and decorators are being recruited to help complete the Foothills Country Hospice. The Foothills Country Hospice Society has unveiled a new program entitled Foothills Designers with Compassion which is aimed at enlisting business owners from the foothills region to make the hospice a home. Pam Nattress, interior design coordinator for the hospice will be delivering more than 60 packages to homebuilders and designers encouraging them to participate in the unique program. “This is huge,” said Nattress of the program. “The more people we can get on board to support us is more money that can be used in getting the hospice open. The fewer dollars we spend on material goods is more money to finance operations.” The hospice building committee will be hosting an information meeting at the hospice on Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. This meeting will give interested parties an opportunity to tour the facility which is currently under construction. Nattress said it will also be an opportunity to answer questions regarding the program as well as discuss floor plans, predetermined colour selections and materials. “We want to take them on a hands-on walk of the site,” said Nattress. “We want them to have a physical look at what we are asking them to do.” What the building committee is asking local businesses to do is to design each of the rooms in the hospice. The hospice includes eight client rooms, two family suites, two quiet areas and several common areas, living rooms and offices. Nattress said a hospice in Red Deer orchestrated a similar program and she is hoping for the same success here in Okotoks.
“I am hoping the small businesses in this
community will support this,” she said.
Interested parties will be invited to submit
design concepts for a room. The designers are
not expected to fund each room completely, but
they are expected to find financial supporters
of the design concepts. The information packages include a detailed list of what is expected to be in each room. For example, the resident rooms need a standard medical bed, a hide-a-bed for family, cabinet, chair, lighting and so on. The lists are just as inclusive for the living rooms, family rooms, dining rooms and offices. There is also a wish list that includes computers, televisions, DVD players, small kitchen appliances, outdoor furniture and even accessories for the bath tubs. In addition, one of the prerequisites for the applicants is that submissions must ensure the rooms remain gender neutral and appropriate for all ages. “It is not just going to be old folks in there,” said Nattress. "This is about compassion. This is for everyone — no one escapes this scenario.” The Foothills Country Hospice is being built north of Okotoks and it is expected to be completed in the spring of 2007. The facility will serve the terminally ill in their last days of life.
For more information on Foothills Designers with
Compassion contact Pam Nattress at 938-7153 or
via
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About
540 people gathered on Saturday night to
make sure a hospice in Okotoks becomes a
reality.
Two
community projects were given a substantial boost due to the support of
the Okotoks Lions Club.
