Category: Show on Front

On March 24^th, The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital announced it has exceeded its $34 million Together, We Care fundraising goal.

“I am overjoyed to share that together, we raised an unbelievable $37,496,057 in received and pledged funds,” said the Foundation’s CEO, Suzanne Bone. She added, “Close to ten thousand individuals and businesses donated to the campaign, and thousands more supported through our fundraising events and 50/50 lottery. We received gifts from five dollars to five million dollars and are incredibly grateful for each one.”

Co-chaired by Linda Hasenfratz, Susan Frasson and Rob Wesseling, Together, We Care will support expanding the Emergency Department including much-needed, dedicated spaces for mental health and addictions care. It will also fund the replacing of aging equipment with innovative technologies to provide quicker, better and safer diagnosis and treatment, improved outcomes and patient comfort. Finally, it will fund the expansion and modernization of the Hospital’s Special Care Nursery that supports the tiniest patients and their families.

Already, more than $15 million in campaign funds has been used to buy priority equipment including a hospital-wide medication safety initiative, CT scanner, mammography machine, infection-identifying machine, vital signs monitors at every bedside and much more. Next up is a new MRI scanner, due to arrive later this year. A full list of funded equipment can be found at www.togetherwecare.ca.

The Hospital will break ground on the Special Care Nursery expansion in a few short weeks, and planning continues for the expansion of the Emergency Department and services for those with mental health and addictions concerns.

Community support is fundamental in the hospital’s ability to care for the community it serves, says Hospital President and CEO Marianne Walker. “Donors make an incredible difference to the care we are able to provide because they fund every piece of patient care equipment we purchase…the tools our caregivers need to provide comfort and caring, healing and curing to our community.” She added, “We are so grateful to the Foundation staff and volunteer team for their efforts, and, of course, to our caring community for their generous donations.”

Guelph General Hospital is celebrating a generous gift of $100,000 from Ted and Neena Kohli in support of the Together, We Care campaign. This is in addition to the recently announced $100,000 gift from their business, Robinson Buick GMC.

Mr. and Mrs. Kohli believe the gift to the Hospital is a blessing to them. “Ted and I believe in the saying that ‘No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave,’” said Neena Kohli. “We feel fortunate to be in the position to help the Hospital and our community.”

The gift from Mr. and Mrs. Kohli supports the $34 million Together, We Care campaign, the Foundation’s most urgent community fundraising project ever. The goal of the campaign is to fund the expansion of both the Emergency Department and Special Care Nursery as well as investing in new patient care equipment and technology. The Foundation has already raised more than $33 million towards the goal.

“I am so grateful to the Kohlis for their generous contribution which will go a long way in ensuring that Guelph General Hospital continues to meet the growing needs of our community,” explains Susan Frasson, co-chair of the Together, We Care fundraising campaign. “Thanks to thoughtful donations like this, our already great hospital will continue to have the space and the resources available for our first rate team to provide the best possible health care our loved ones deserve.”

“Donors make an incredible difference to the care we are able to provide at Guelph General Hospital, because they fund every piece of patient care equipment we purchase,” commented Foundation CEO Suzanne Bone. “These are the essential tools our caregivers need to provide comfort and caring, healing and curing to our community. Ted and Neena are an inspiration – their gift is already making and will continue to make a remarkable difference.”

Guelph General Hospital is celebrating a generous gift of $100,000 from Robinson Buick GMC in support of the Together, We Care campaign.

Ted Kohli, Robinson Buick GMC’s President reflected on the famous quote from Mahatma Ghandi “Be the change you want to see in the world” as the reason he and business partners, Amit Kohli and Sam Hirani decided to make this significant commitment.

The gift from Robinson Buick GMC supports the $34 million Together, We Care campaign, the Foundation’s most urgent community fundraising project ever. The goal of the campaign is to fund the expansion of both the Emergency Department and Special Care Nursery as well as investing in new patient care equipment and technology. The Foundation has already raised more than $33 million towards the goal.

“As we collectively invest in the health and wellbeing of those in our community, we will continue to see strength and resiliency reflected back to us,” explains Rob Wesseling President and CEO, Co-operators, and co-chair of Guelph General Hospital’s Together, We Care Fundraising campaign. “A sincere thank you to Robinson Buick GMC for recognizing this important cause. Their generous gift will go a long way in ensuring that Guelph General Hospital will continue to have the critical resources needed to support and care for our community members when they need it most.”

The generous donation was welcomed by hospital President and CEO, Marianne Walker. “We are extremely grateful to have such wonderful supporters in our community. Gifts like this enable us to purchase the equipment and technology that helps us save lives and improve health. Especially now, in this time of the unprecedented challenges we face during this health crisis, we are so very grateful to corporate partners like Robinson Buick GMC for helping us provide the highest quality care and experience to our patients.”

We are celebrating a remarkable gift of $1,000,000 from the Pollard family. The gift supports the Hospital’s most urgent and essential equipment needs through the Together, We Care $34 million fundraising campaign.

Supporting Guelph General Hospital with a legacy donation was an easy decision for Scott Pollard, his son Ryan and daughter Kristi and their spouses, Suzannah, Stacey and Chris. Scott said “The Hospital has been there over the years for the whole family, from the births of most of our family members to several Emergency Department visits, and an extended stay by Ryan and Kristi’s late mother, Jana, through her cancer journey.”

Kristi added “We know that all patient-care equipment is funded by donors. And we know that everyone in our community will need the hospital at some point in their lives, so we thought ‘what better place to give’. We are fortunate to have the ability to make this donation – it felt like the right thing to do and we hope it will inspire others to contribute what they can.”

The generous donation was welcomed by hospital President and CEO, Marianne Walker. “We are extremely grateful to have such generous supporters in our community. Gifts like this enable us to purchase the equipment and technology that helps us save lives and improve health. We are grateful to the Pollard Family for helping us provide the highest quality care and experience to our patients.”

“Fundraising and philanthropy make an incredible difference to the care we are able to provide at Guelph General Hospital. Donors fund every piece of patient care equipment we purchase…the tools our caregivers need to provide comfort and caring, healing and curing to our community,” commented Suzanne Bone, CEO of The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital. “So to say we’re thankful to the Pollards is an understatement. Their gift is already making and will continue to make a remarkable difference.”

The Together, We Care campaign will fund three essential projects: expand the Emergency Department and create new space to support better mental health and addictions care; replace aging equipment and purchase innovative technologies; and reimagine and expand our Special Care Nursery to meet the needs of modern families. To date, more than $33 million has been raised, including this gift from the Pollard family.

In recognition of this gift, the reimagined Special Care Nursery will be renamed in the Pollard Family’s honour.

A cheque from The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital in the amount of $4,273,735.02 was hand delivered to the Hospital’s Finance Department.

“This is the largest transfer we have ever made to the Hospital, and it’s only the middle of our fiscal year,” remarked Suzanne Bone, CEO of The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital. “Last spring we were able to transfer $3.534 million, and that was for the entire 2020/21 fiscal year.”

The funds allowed Guelph General Hospital to make significant investments in new patient care equipment and technology that advance the level of safety, care and comfort for patients at the Hospital.

$3.3 million supports the Hospital’s most significant medication safety project. It involves transforming the current pen-and-paper process for prescribing, dispensing and charting into an electronic process that incorporates modern medication safety practices, dispensing equipment, and software.

Some funds are being used to replace and upgrade equipment used in the vascular surgical suite. The equipment is highly specialized and includes an x-ray machine that uses lower doses of radiation than its predecessor. This is safer for patients and their surgical team. The machine is paired with a sophisticated, high-resolution viewing screen which enables surgeons to see tiny details of complex vascular anatomy more easily. Guelph General Hospital is the regional centre for vascular surgery, so this new equipment will have an impact on many patients within our community and beyond.

The balance of the transfer funded a variety of other items essential to delivering the highest quality and safest patient care, including patient lifts, bladder scanners, portable ultrasound machines, ECG machines and more.
This colossal funds transfer was made possible by the generosity of thousands of individuals and business who have supported the Hospital’s $34 million Together, We Care fundraising campaign.

The transfer brings the total campaign investment in new patient care equipment and technology so far to over $14 million.

Together, We Care is the Hospital’s most urgent community fundraising project ever. In addition to funding patient care equipment and technology, funds raised will also be used to expand Guelph General’s strained Emergency Department and create new space to support better mental health and addictions care, and to expand and modernize the Special Care Nursery.

“Donors are truly part of the Hospital team, helping save lives and improve health,” stated Bone.

Today, Guelph General Hospital is celebrating a generous gift of $125,000 from the Gay Lea Foundation in support of the $34 million Together, We Care campaign, the Hospital’s most urgent community fundraising project ever. The goal of the campaign is to fund the expansion of both the Emergency Department and Special Care Nursery as well as investing in new patient care equipment and technology. To date, $32 million has been raised towards the goal.

“Gay Lea Foods has a long history and deep connection with the community of Guelph,” says Gay Lea Foundation Chair Janet Ringelberg. “We know where our roots are and are happy to help cover some of the essential costs critical to the ongoing work of the hospital. In doing so, we hope to contribute to the health of individuals and families, as well as the overall health of Guelph and its surrounding communities.”

The gift of $125,000 was presented today to Guelph General Hospital Vice President Patient Services, Melissa Skinner, The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital CEO, Suzanne Bone and Together, We Care campaign co-chair, Rob Wesseling in front of Gay Lea Foods’ long-time Speedvale Avenue W. location in Guelph. The gift represents the single largest donation made by the Gay Lea Foundation, which is supported through the generosity of the co-operative and individual donations by employees and members.

“As a co-operative, we care about making sure that the value our business creates flows to our members, our customers, our employees and our communities,” says Gay Lea Foods Chair, Rob Goodwill. “This gift is one way we can do that and proudly live our vision of Enriching communities co-operatively.”

“I am delighted and grateful to see a fellow co-operative make this generous contribution, as we know that prioritizing the health and well-being of our citizens is critical to building strong and resilient communities,” explains Rob Wesseling President and CEO, The Co-operators, and co-chair of The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital’s Together We Care fundraising campaign. “This donation will go a long way in ensuring that Guelph General Hospital continues to have the space and the resources available for our families, friends and neighbours to receive the care they need, when they need it most.”

The generous donation was welcomed by hospital President and CEO, Marianne Walker. “We are extremely grateful to have such wonderful supporters in our community. Gifts like this enable us to purchase the equipment and technology that helps us save lives and improve health. Especially now, in this time of the unprecedented challenges we face during this health crisis, we are so very grateful to corporate partners like the Gay Lea Foundation for helping us provide the highest quality care and experience to our patients.”

Photo Caption from left to right:

Melissa Skinner, Vice President Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive, Guelph General Hospital, Rob Wesseling, President and CEO, The Co-operators and co-chair of the Together, We Care campaign, Janet Ringelberg, Chair, Gay Lea Foundation, Rob Goodwill, Chair, Gay Lea Foods, Suzanne Bone, CEO, The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital, Michael Barrett, President & CEO, Gay Lea Foods

Guelph General Hospital is celebrating a remarkable gift of $100,000 from long-time Hospital supporter Sutherland Insurance. The gift supports the Hospital’s most urgent and essential needs.

For over 151 years Sutherland Insurance has been serving the insurance needs of Guelph and Wellington County. The Sutherland habit of giving back to the community traces its roots back to the founder, John Sutherland. In the 1890s there was a severe fire in a neighboring village which wiped out the hotel, some stores, and dwellings. No one had any insurance, and the next day, before the ashes were cold, John Sutherland rode into town with a hamper filled with food. 

The legacy of giving back to the community continues today with the 4th and 5th generation of Sutherlands. When the Sutherland Family heard about the urgent needs of the hospital through the Together, We Care campaign, they knew they wanted to help, having seen the impact Guelph General makes to families in our community every day.

The generous donation was applauded by hospital President and CEO, Marianne Walker. “I am always amazed by spirit of philanthropy in Guelph, particularly in long-time pillars of the community like the Sutherland Family. We are so grateful for their support, allowing us to purchase essential and lifesaving equipment and provide the highest quality care and experience to our patients.”

“Fundraising and philanthropy make an incredible difference to the care we are able to provide at Guelph General Hospital,” commented Suzanne Bone, the Foundation’s CEO. “Donors fund every piece of patient care equipment we purchase…the tools our caregivers need to provide comfort and caring, healing and curing to our community. So to say we’re thankful to Sutherland Insurance is an understatement. Their gift makes an immediate difference and serves as an inspiration to our community.”

Photo Caption: Staff of Sutherland Insurance during a Canada Day gathering, pre-COVID-19

Guelph General Hospital is celebrating a generous gift of $100,000 from Polycon Industries in support of the Together, We Care campaign.

“Polycon Industries is extremely pleased to make a donation towards this important fundraising campaign for Guelph General Hospital,” says David Gray, General Manager of Polycon Industries. “This donation could only be achieved by the hard work and dedication of our employees. We are all grateful for the support, service and healthcare we have in Guelph.”

The gift from Polycon Industries will support the $34 million Together, We Care campaign, the Foundation’s most urgent community fundraising project ever. The goal of the campaign is to fund the expansion of both the Emergency Department and Special Care Nursery as well as investing in new patient care equipment and technology. The Foundation recently announced the campaign had already raised $30 million towards the goal.

“We couldn’t have reached this milestone without the support of our community and corporate partners like Polycon Industries,” commented The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital’s CEO Suzanne Bone. “We are grateful for this significant contribution to help purchase equipment that will lead to more precise diagnosis, faster treatment, and improved outcomes for our patients.”

“Especially now, in this time of the unprecedented challenges we face during this health crisis, we are so very grateful to corporate partners like Polycon Industries” said hospital President and CEO, Marianne Walker. “Gifts like this enable us to purchase the equipment and technology that helps us save lives and improve health.”

Today Guelph General Hospital is celebrating a generous gift of $100,000 from The Tricar Group in support of the Together, We Care campaign.

“The Tricar Group is extremely pleased to make a donation towards this important fundraising campaign for Guelph General Hospital,” says Adam Carapella, Vice-President of The Tricar Group. “Building homes also means building communities and we are committed to do our part to help ensure the residents of our community have access to the best health care facilities and equipment.”

The gift from The Tricar Group will support the $34 million Together, We Care campaign, the Foundation’s most urgent community fundraising project ever. The goal of the campaign is to fund the expansion of both the Emergency Department and Special Care Nursery as well as investing in new patient care equipment and technology. The Foundation recently announced the campaign had raised $30 million towards the goal.

“We couldn’t have reached this milestone without the support of our community and corporate partners like The Tricar Group,” commented The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital’s CEO Suzanne Bone. “The Tricar Group has been a dedicated supporter of the Hospital for a number of years and we are most grateful to them for making a significant contribution to help purchase equipment that will lead to more precise diagnosis, faster treatment, and improved outcomes for our patients.”

“Especially now, in this time of the unprecedented challenges we face during this health crisis, we are so very grateful to corporate partners like The Tricar Group” said hospital President and CEO, Marianne Walker. “Gifts like this enable us to purchase the equipment and technology that helps us save lives and improve health.”