By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The $10 million “Better Care, Better Outcomes” oncology fundraising campaign was given a significant boost recently with a $50,000 donation from the Kiwanis Club of Oliver.
The fund raising campaign is being led by the South Okanagan Similkameen (SOS) Medical Foundation in its commitment towards the $22 million expansion of the oncology clinic at the Penticton Regional Hospital.
The current facility is outdated and running above its optimal capacity.
The new facility will also help cope with the projected 30 per cent rise in cancer rates in the Interior over the next 20 years due to the aging population.
With just over $4 million raised towards their $10 million goal, the SOS Medical Foundation said it is very grateful to the Kiwanis Club for this donation.
The money was raised through the efforts of volunteers supporting the Kiwanis Market. This market, a long-time staple of the Oliver community, is held every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
When asked why Kiwanis opted to support the SOS Medical Foundation’s Oncology Campaign, Russell Newcombe, President of the Kiwanis Club of Oliver, said: “When our membership was reminded that one in two Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, we knew that we needed to invest in more cancer care right here in the South Okanagan.”
The Kiwanis Club market operates from a large warehouse where donations are accepted, quality is verified, the items priced and ultimately sold with net profits donated back to local communities.
The majority of the donated items come from the communities of Oliver, Osoyoos and Okanagan Falls.
The Kiwanis Club of Oliver is part of Kiwanis International, whose purpose is to “change the world, one child and one community at a time.”
The Kiwanis Club of Oliver has a long history of supporting community causes including: Highway to Healing, BGC (formerly known as Boys and Girls Club), Desert Sun Counselling, Food for Thought, choirs, elementary schools, and several others.
