The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Auxiliary volunteers continue to demonstrate that they are a fundraising force to be reckoned with.

Auxiliary representatives presented the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation team with their fourth pledge installment on Thursday to help Back the Build for a new hospital in Prince Edward County.

Today’s donation of $234,000 will be counted towards the Auxiliary’s $1 million pledge to the new hospital campaign. The total cash received from the Auxiliary for the new hospital is now $784,000.

With $216,000 remaining on their $1 million pledge, the Auxiliary is confident they can fulfill this commitment within the 2021 year, despite having many of their fundraising activities halted due to COVID-19 and the recent news of the hospital build being delayed by two years.

“The Auxiliary has an established history of fundraising in support of patient care at PECMH,” said Cathy Starkey, president of the PECMH Auxiliary. “Our volunteers and community members across Prince Edward County understand the importance of coming together and improving health care for the patients of the hospital. In spite of the hospital build taking more time, we’re continuing to give now to ensure the foundation has access to the funds as soon as they are needed. The project is moving forward and the Auxiliary intends to be there every step of the way.”

“We can’t thank our Auxiliary family enough for their generous $234,000 installment to our Back the Build campaign,” said Shannon Coull executive director, PECMH Foundation. “When it comes to commitment and passion for our County hospital, the dedication from the members of our hospital’s volunteers are unmatched. Their pledge to help Back the Build is crucial to helping us meet our goal of $16.5 million.”

For the volunteers with the PECMH Auxiliary, the decision to Back the Build in support of the rebuilding of Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital wasn’t a difficult one. In fact, the Auxiliary was the first group to step forward and commit to raising funds for the new build.

“We see our local hospital as one of the highest priority assets in our community. We remain committed to investing in the bright, healthy future ahead for the new PECMH,” said Starkey. “Thanks to our volunteers for their year-round efforts towards this significant achievement. We look forward to continuing our work to support the building of PECM Hospital’s future home.”

“The foundation has a long and trusted history with the PECMH Auxiliary. This is a unique partnership. The Auxiliary not only supports and assists Quinte Health Care, Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital, its patients and staff through hands on assistance with healthcare delivery outside of the pandemic, but they are also helping our foundation to raise significant funds. It is a great pleasure to continue to work with the Auxiliary in this capacity,” said Barbara McConnell, chairperson of the PECMH Foundation.

Now more than ever, we are reminded of how important it is to have access to a hospital that is built and equipped to meet the health care needs of today and in the future. The new hospital will have a 24/7 emergency department, diagnostic imaging, cardio-diagnostic services, 18 inpatient beds with the ability to expand, ambulatory, laboratory and dialysis services. It will also have leading edge infection control and ventilation, wider halls for modern medical equipment and larger patient rooms each with its own washroom.

The Province of Ontario announced they will invest up to $100 million in the new hospital build. While this is a huge investment, the community must pay for a portion of the construction costs, in addition to all the equipment that will go into the new hospital. This portion of funding from the community is called the “local share” which amounts to $16.5 million.

“The care Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital’s staff provides to our families and our community is invaluable,” said Nancy Parks, Back the Build campaign co-chair. “It’s crucial to have support from this community to be able to build a new hospital and keep care close to home. We are proud of their fundraising efforts that help contribute to our hospital’s vibrant future.”

“We can’t think of a better way to give back to our hospital than investing in the new one,” said Starkey. “Our volunteers admire the outstanding care given to patients, while staff cope with never ending maintenance concerns in the current building. We’re very lucky to have a hospital so close to home, and our volunteers are doing everything they can to keep it that way.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Back the Build Campaign, please call 613-476-1008 ext. 4502. Information can also be found at www.backthebuild.ca.