In a time when politicians and the governments they run seem to be bent on imposing “austerity measures” and preaching to service providers about “doing more with less”, it's a welcome sight to see community groups step up and provide some of that much needed funding where the government's offering is lacking.
This past weekend, Bonnyville hosted its 16th annual Hospital Gala, an event that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars year after year for the local Health Centre.
This year's event was another huge success, bringing in an estimated $240,000.
All the money raised, which is donated by local businesses, groups, teams and individuals, as well as a large chunk coming from the live auction at the event itself, will stay in the community and go towards upgrading equipment and improving health services in Bonnyville.
It's great to see hundreds of people come out to the event and enjoy themselves, while doing something positive for the community.
Dr. Guy Lamoureux, chief of medical staff in Bonnyville said, “Sometimes it means we can do things that we couldn't do otherwise.”
He added, “Right now we have two doctors that do colonoscopies and gastroscopies. Without the contribution from the gala we certainly wouldn't be able to do nearly the number that we do.”
It's never a bad thing when people come together to better life for the whole lot, rather than simply looking out for number one.
Here's hoping that sentiment continues to grow.
