Gala pushes cardiac care expansion closer
More than 300 guests - many sporting bright and flowery attire, wielding bidding paddles, grooving to saucy Latino music, and gambling in a makeshift speakeasy - parted with about $315,000 of their cash, all in aid of expanding cardiac care at the local hospital.
During Saturday night's Hot Havana Nights themed gala, the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation made a significant leap towards its $644,000 goal - the minimum amount needed to expand the hospital's six-bed cardiac unit to 10 beds, explained executive director Heather Scott.
"It's intoxicating to see all this bidding, knowing that with every donation you are improving cardiac care in our hospital," Scott told the sold-out crowd of 320.
"The funds raised at the gala for Langley Memorial Hospital's cardiac care unit will expand the number of beds and provide advanced equipment to our highly specialized health care teams to help ensure the growing number of cardiac patients seen at Langley receive excellent care," she said.
The audience was told how demand in the past five years for the telemetry monitoring has jumped from 666 patients a year to almost 800.
Starting early this year, the foundation began fundraising specifically for the cardiac unit upgrades.
Heading into Saturday's festivities at Cascades Casino, the foundation was just over the halfway mark, said Scott.
Now, after all the bills are paid, and the dust settles from the 32nd annual gala, Scott believes they'll be about $100,000 shy of their goal.
"We haven't quite reached our goal. We're almost there. And, we're confident that the community will come through and we'll be able to fully equip the hospital with the additional beds soon," Scott shared.
For one cardiac monitoring bed, the cost is $64,000. That doesn't include some of the other necessary equipment associated to each telemetry bed, she elaborated, noting that the $644,000-goal is the bare minimum to realize this expansion.
"We continue fundraising until we hit that goal," Scott said, adding that they're actually hoping to raise $750,000 in total to cover all the other needed equipment.
Maybe over and above the telemetry beds, Santa will deliver needed crash carts, defibrillators, and a new EKG for Christmas, Scott said, sharing the wishlist. "Santa surprises us every year."
Asked what her personal highlight of the night was, Scott paused and pondered before saying: "Seeing folks in the room raise their bid cards and give straight donations to realize this new telemetry unit at Langley Memorial. I just found the generosity overwhelming. It's inspiring, for sure."
Scott credited the volunteer driven gala committee for pulling this year's fundraiser together, noting the core team of 10 to 12 members has yet to meet and debrief. But she expects, like her, they'll view the event a "great success," and begin work almost immediately on plans for the 33rd annual gala.
Last year's gala saw guests raise $205,000 in support of youth, health, and wellness in Langley.
This article was originally published by the Langley Advance Times.