Whether you cheer for the Edmonton Oilers or not, supporting their playoff 50/50 draws on May 19 and May 21 game nights is a score for frontline hospital workers in both St. Paul and Lac La Biche.
The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) has teamed up with Edmonton, central and north zone hospital foundations in support of frontline workers. Tagged as Operation Frontline Impact, these foundations, including the St. Paul & District Hospital Foundation and the Lac La Biche Regional Health Foundation, have come together to address the emergency needs of frontline staff in the continued fight against COVID-19.
“The road through COVID-19 has been a long and challenging one but frontline workers have remained resilient and dedicated. Operation Frontline Impact will create an emergency, distress and critical programming fund for nurses, nursing aides, doctors and non-medical staff working in hospitals across Oil Country,” the EOCF announced in a media statement Monday.
St. Paul foundation chair Noreen Brousseau says the local foundation stands to receive anywhere between $15,000 to $25,000 depending on the support from Albertans of the 50/50 draws this week. The money will come as a huge blessing for hospital foundations in many communities who have been unable to hold annual fund-raising events due to the pandemic.
“The Royal Alex Hospital Foundation made a proposal to the Oilers and they accepted it and they opened it up to foundations in the Oilers' catchment area – Red Deer north to participate. We have no way of getting into that ourselves, just our little group. But, all together, the Oilers were more than happy to do that. So, yes, we are pretty happy about that.”
Brousseau said how much each foundation will receive from the 50/50 proceeds is based on the number of beds in each hospital.
As soon as word was received Monday that it was a go, Brousseau started making the calls to get word out to Lakeland residents that purchasing 50/50 tickets for the first two games in the series against Winnipeg might mean a big win for the ticket holder but, with proceeds being invested in the wellbeing of frontline hospital workers, it really is a win-win situation for everyone.
“It is going to go to the mental health needs of our frontline workers. They are beyond exhausted across the province. It’s something to help them get through and get on. It’s not easy.”
Oilers 50/50 tickets are available at https://www.nhl.com/oilers/community/5050-landing
