The Lac La Biche Regional Health Foundation is getting ready to host its second annual game night and date night, which takes place at the Bold Centre Community Hall on April 19, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Over the last decade, the local foundation has hosted several gala evening events with sit-down meals and big-ticket raffle prizes, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars for local healthcare needs. In the last few years, the gala events have been re-themed to become casual evenings offering games and lighter meal options. Organizers say the casual nights help to draw more community members — and introduce more people to the work of the foundation.
Whether they are formal dinners, games nights or other fundraising initiatives throughout the year, Allan Sinclair, the chair of the Lac La Biche Regional Health Foundation, said community support continues to raise much-needed funds for local healthcare needs. Last year, through a combination of corporate sponsorship and proceeds from the games night, the local health foundation was able to buy the new operating room lighting system for the Lac La Biche’s W. J.Cadzow hospital, which came with a price tag of $80,000.
Funds for seniors
The funds from the upcoming event, Sinclair says, will go towards renovating the patio door from the continuing care unit to the patio. This door, he stated, is older and very difficult for anyone in a wheelchair to open by themselves.
“With the warm weather coming, it will be nice to help out this worthy cause,” he told Lakeland This Week.
Sinclair says that last year’s inaugural game night and date night was a success, with about 140 people in attendance, and organizers are hopeful that this year’s numbers will be even higher.
“This year we will be adding a few new games including "animal races" and "Strike a light" - which is a fast-paced game similar to Whack-a-Mole but you play against an opponent,” he explained. “We would like to keep adding exciting new elements to the night to keep it interesting.”
Sinclair said the Lac La Biche Regional Health Foundation board has been working on planning the games night over the past few months.
Local support for local needs
He continued by saying the event is important for the community because all proceeds go to help local health needs, with none of the money leaving the area.
“Our foundation can support either hospital or health unit needs...but always local,” he said. “We want to make the hospital well-equipped, so our new physicians and nurses have the best tools for the job.”
The deadline to buy game-night tickets is April 15. Tickets are $50, and are available at the Liquor Stop, Ace Hardware, or through e-transfer at [email protected]
