The Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation Mombassadors, a group of local fundraisers, has raised $42,041 for the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
The group was able to make the donation despite having to cancel Girls Night Out, their major fundraising event, in the spring. It had been rescheduled to September but was ultimately cancelled due to ongoing concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was a heartbreaking decision for us to cancel Girls Night Out,” said Marcy D’Alessandro, chair of the 2020 Mombassadors, “especially since babies continue to be born every day at PRHC, and almost one in four of them will need critical care in the NICU during the first moments, days, weeks or even months of their lives.”
D’Alessandro explained that most of the event’s sponsors, including title sponsor Full Tilt Cycle, decided to maintain their donations. Many people who had already purchased a ticket to Girls Night Out also decided to donate the cost of their ticket.
Others, including local businesses and families, also donated to the Mombassadors’ 2019-20 campaign. Additional funds were raised through the group’s annual 100 Kids Care event in December, and the launch of the Mombassadors’ clothing line.
“We were so touched by the generosity of our community,” D’Alessandro said.
The funds raised by the Mombassadors will be used to help purchase lifesaving equipment for the NICU — specifically a radiant heater/warmer for newborns who need extra support.
More than 1,600 babies are born each year at PRHC. An average of 368 babies need critical care in the NICU in their first moments of life, according to PRHC Foundation president and CEO Lesley Heighway.
“That requires specialized equipment,” Heighway explained. “We’re so grateful to the Mombassadors and the community for their support of vital equipment.”
