Raising $60 million for the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) is not an easy challenge, but with a board of directors comprised of compassionate, trustworthy, and generous community members leading the way, the PRHC Foundation has reached 88 per cent of its current campaign fundraising goal.
During National Volunteer Week from April 27 to May 3, the PRHC Foundation is thanking the volunteers who lend their time and expertise to ensure future generations have world-class healthcare available close to home.
“We’re grateful to have many volunteers who support the Foundation’s work, including those serving on the board and committees,” says PRHC Foundation President and CEO Lesley Heighway. “Our organization wouldn’t have the same impact without them. Every single one of these volunteers has a story about compassionate care received at PRHC and they all recognize that we wouldn’t have that world-class care without donors. They’re all donors themselves.”
The chair of the board, financial advisor Dan Moloney, is one such individual whose relationship with the PRHC Foundation is multi-faceted. He remembers when the hospital was being built, and his wife Amy is currently a registered nurse in the ICU at PRHC. Moloney first joined the Foundation’s allied professional advisory council close to 15 years ago, then joined the board in 2020.
“We’re very blessed in our lives with good health and the ability to provide for each other and our family,” he says. “We want to teach our children that this is one of the ways you can give back, not just with your pocketbook but with your time, energy, and passion.”
With four young children who were all born at PRHC, including one who was struggling to breathe at birth and had an extended stay, Moloney understands the need for world-class care close to home.
“We were able to be cared for locally and had an incredible support system,” Moloney says. “The entire team in the neonatal ICU bent over backwards for us. I was already heavily involved in the Foundation, and it just really sealed the deal that this patient care is why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
As a young father and business owner in the community, Moloney is hopeful that his involvement in the Foundation will leave a “legacy” for future generations.
“I hope in my very short tenure with the board, and when it’s all said and done, that we’ll have contributed to the strong growth of our regional hospital. With passion, we can leave something for our kids and leave something for our community. We don’t expect or know when we’re going to use these facilities, but if we can make it the best it can be for our neighbour, for our friend, or for our family member, then it’s all worthwhile.”
Past board chair Linda Skilton is also a donor, longtime volunteer, and board member who experienced firsthand the need for a regional centre like PRHC. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, she received treatment at the hospital’s radiation suite that had recently been funded through community donations.
“The year prior, I would have had to — after all my chemotherapy and being totally exhausted — drive to and from Oshawa for about 30 days to get my radiation treatments,” she says. “Because of the donor-funded radiation suite, I was able to get my care close to home and it made all the difference.”
Skilton knew then she would find a way to support the PRHC Foundation, first as a participant in Peterborough’s annual Dragon Boat Festival fundraiser for breast cancer care, and then later by becoming a volunteer board member. She says one of her favourite duties is connecting with donors and hearing their stories and gratitude for the hospital.
“My work on the Foundation feels more fulfilling when I hear how much it has made a difference in people’s lives and they recognize it through donations,” Skilton says. “They give because of the great care they received, and when I’m hearing the stories and their gratefulness, it’s really uplifting.”
Though Skilton is entering her maximum ninth year on the board, she says she doesn’t see her relationship to the Foundation ever ending.
“I’ll continue to be a donor and I’ll continue to advocate for the Foundation in my everyday life,” she says. “It’s critical for the good governance of the Foundation that board members do step up, and the Foundation’s done well at seeking out those people who would make good members.”
Heighway adds that the selection process for volunteer board members reflects the critical role they have in the overall governance of the PRHC Foundation.
“They are recruited for their specific skills and expertise, their interest in helping our organization be the best it can be, and they have a duty of accountability,” she says.
“Donors can be confident that under their guidance and oversight, donations will be used as intended and the results of their impact accurately reported back to us all. This transparency and the trust of donors is crucial to our mission — it is paramount.”
Such is the case with Peterborough financial planning specialist Gord McFarland, who has also reached his nine-year maximum as a board member. During his time on the board, he did stints as the treasurer and board chair before keeping a seat on the finance and investment committee, where he first began with the Foundation years ago.
As a finance and investment committee member, McFarland now makes recommendations to the board on financial oversights, including assessing and mitigating risks and ensuring community donations are being invested in the care areas for which they were designated.
“It’s money that donors have generously provided to the organization to achieve an impact and to create something that is beyond themselves,” he says, noting how essential those donations are. “You just can’t do some of the things that the physicians do on a daily basis without those donors, and without them being philanthropic and charitable in their intent.”
The same can be said for those who donate their time and expertise as a volunteer of PRHC Foundation, an organization McFarland affirms is “a well-run and well-managed organization.”
“Board and committee members alike are very well supported with training, information, and background knowledge so that they can contribute their expertise in an effective and efficient manner,” he says. “You feel like you’re having an impact and providing oversight at the board table, while also having confidence in Lesley and her team to run the Foundation’s operations on a daily basis.”
Given his years of experience with the Foundation, McFarland has generously been mentoring and working alongside new board members.
“Something I’ve found to be important over the years was not just being there myself, but looking at ways to multiply my impact by inspiring and motivating others to become engaged volunteers and donors as well,” he says.
Though she is a newer board member, Central Smith Creamery’s vice president Jennifer Scates says she is already “getting out of it more than I’m giving.”
“I have a full-time job running a business, but it’s an easy and interesting ask to be a volunteer with the board,” she says. “I’ve met some remarkably smart people, and I’m just continually amazed at the passion that board members have and the knowledge they’re sharing to help the hospital get bigger and better every day.”
Scates’ appreciation extends beyond the board to include Heighway’s leadership of the PRHC Foundation.
“Lesley Heighway is a world-class individual,” she says. “She’s an inspiration and people could learn a lot from her. She’s a really remarkable person.”
As for Heighway, she considers all of those who volunteer for the PRHC Foundation — whether on the board or in the community — to be equally remarkable in their passion and commitment for the regional hospital.
“Volunteering can be such a meaningful experience, particularly when you have an opportunity to put your life skills and interests to good use, making a difference in the lives of others,” says Heighway.
“The Foundation thanks all our volunteers, from our board of directors and committees to the dedicated people who work in the PRHC Foundation Gift Shop and from our office volunteer and allied professional advisory council to our campaign council. We also have volunteer campaign ambassadors — grateful patients, as well as doctors, nurses, and staff — who are willing to share their experiences to help us inspire donations.”
“And there are so many generous individuals and groups out in the community volunteering their time and energy to host fundraising initiatives on our behalf,” Heighway adds. “All of these efforts help us bring world-class care closer to home.”
If you’d like to volunteer in support of the PRHC Foundation, please visit the website or call 705-876-5000 to discuss all of the ways you can be involved.
This branded editorial was created in partnership with the Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.
