Are you a passionate supporter of world-class healthcare at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC)? Do you have a story to share about how you, a family member, or a friend received great care at the hospital? Can you inspire others in the community to also show their support for the hospital?
The PRHC Foundation has put a call out to members of the community who would like to become volunteer ambassadors for the foundation’s largest-ever fundraising campaign.
Whether you have an inspiring story, want to organize a fundraiser in the community or at your business, or have another idea for supporting the hospital, the PRHC Foundation wants to work with you to make it a reality.
“Our family, friends, and neighbours from across the region have told us that they think of PRHC as a cornerstone of the community, where the excellent care they received was part of some of the most meaningful moments of their lives,” says PRHC Foundation President & CEO Lesley Heighway in a media release. “We’re grateful that our supporters want to share their stories and inspire others.”
Since 1979, the PRHC Foundation has worked alongside the community to support the donor-funded regional hospital that now serves a population of up to 600,000 people. In response to system-wide challenges, a growing and aging population, increased patient volumes, and rising rates of chronic disease and mental illness, the foundation quietly launched a $60 million campaign in 2020 to support technology advancements and increased capacity so PRHC can continue to deliver world-class healthcare close to home.
With $45.5 million already raised through donor generosity, the PRHC Foundation is inviting people of all ages — including former and current patients and their family members, donors, and anyone else who wants to “reimagine health care” at PRHC — to engage in this next phase of the campaign.
You don’t have to live or work in Peterborough to participate as a volunteer ambassador with the PRHC Foundation. With patients coming from Peterborough and Peterborough County, Lindsay and all areas within the City of Kawartha Lakes, Campbellford, Havelock, Cobourg and Port Hope, Port Perry, east Oshawa and parts of the Durham region, north to the Haliburton Highlands and all points in between, anyone who has a connection to PRHC is welcome to participate.
This could be as simple as sharing your story with the PRHC Foundation for its newsletters, website, or social media channels.
“If you have a story about the great care you received, a message for staff, or want to say thanks and connect with our community through a fundraising event, please let us know,” Heighway says. “We want to help share that passion.”
Other ideas for ambassadors could include speaking at community or donor events, hosting a fundraiser, creating an initiative that benefits both your business and care at PRHC such as a sponsorship or point of sale donations, or networking with others on behalf of the Foundation.
There are lots of examples of how community members have taken the initiative to support PRHC, including local businesses like Couture Candy Ptbo. Owner Lisa Couture supported the Campaign for PRHC by hosting a four-month “Supporting Cancer Care is Sweet” initiative that raised $16,700 for the PRHC Foundation.
Then there’s Peterborough gastropub One Eighty, which organized the annual Heather Roessl & Friends Memorial Golf Tournament in September and raised $30,500 in support of world-class cancer care at PRHC.
The PRHC Foundation is open to creative suggestions that will support the campaign and will collaborate with volunteer ambassadors to help make them happen. Roles as an ambassador can be customized to a person’s availability, location, passion, and interest.
One of the PRHC Foundation’s current ambassadors is Jennie Ireland, who was diagnosed with breast cancer as a single mom with aging parents. She is grateful she received the world-class treatment she needed close to home at PRHC, allowing her to look after her son and parents and ultimately leaving her cancer free. In addition to being a donor, she now shares her story at fundraising events and donor celebrations so others can understand the impact of donor support on patient care.
Another current ambassador is Nick Beamish, who experienced a cardiac crisis and after assessment at PRHC had to travel three hours to another hospital where he stayed for weeks at Christmastime because PRHC didn’t have the facilities he needed. That made him realize how important donations are to bringing essential new services and leading-edge equipment to PRHC so doctors, nurses, and staff can provide world-class cardiac care close to home.
VIDEO: reImagine. Health. Care. – The Campaign for PRHC
With the help of passionate volunteer campaign ambassadors, the PRHC Foundation will meet its $60 million fundraising goal so the hospital can invest in additional state-of-the-art technology, introduce new lifesaving services, continue to attract top healthcare professionals, and inspire solutions to the critical challenges the hospital faces — ensuring that PRHC continues to deliver world-class care in the region into the future.
“The ambassadors program will support that — connecting volunteers enthusiastic about our donor-funded regional hospital and the health and future of our area, who want to celebrate what PRHC means to them and what’s possible through the power of community,” Heighway says.
For more information on the campaign for PRHC or to volunteer as a campaign ambassador, email foundationeventsonline@prhc.on.ca or call 705-876-5000.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the PRHC Foundation. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
