Port Elgin Rotary Club members, along with President Dan Murawsky (front, grey shirt), presented a cheque for $10,000 to Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation Executive Director Tracy Murray (front, centre) and Foundation Chair Jim Barbour (front, right) February 5. It was the first of three annual instalments which will total $30,000 toward the Owen Sound Regional Hospital's new MRI.
Hub Staff
The Rotary Club of Port Elgin made a double announcement at their monthly Rotary After Hours event February 5, one which pledged funds to local health care in Saugeen Shores and the other that will benefit patients across Grey and Bruce.
At the Queen's Bar and Grill, Rotary President Dan Murawsky said that through the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation (SMHF) the Port Elgin club will be donating $30,000 over a three year period to Grey Bruce Health Services' MRI campaign. "That's $10,000 starting tonight and then every year for the next two years," explained Murawsky.
The Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) that's currently in use at the Owen Sound Regional Hospital is 14 years old and has been providing essential diagnostic imaging to more than 10,000 patients in Grey and Bruce every year. The new MRI would reduce the average test time by 10 minutes, allowing a greater number of patients to be tested, as well as offering more comfort to patients and providing physicians with higher quality images to aid in accurate diagnosis.
There are five hospital foundations under the Grey Bruce Health Services catchment including SMHF and they've been working together to raise the $4.7 million needed for the new MRI.
“This is a perfect addition to the campaign,” said SMHF Executive Director Tracy Murray who, along with Foundation Chair Jim Barbour, was present to accept the first $10,000 instalment February 5.
Murawsky then announced that each year for the next three years, the Port Elgin Rotary Club would also be donating funds raised through their Home and Recreation Show's raffle to the Saugeen Memorial Hospital Foundation. “The hospital is very important in our community, to visitors and local people alike," he said.
This year's Home and Recreation Show is set to take place April 13 and 14 at the Southampton Coliseum and Murawsky said that the raffle raises approximately $5,000 each year. “The proceeds will be earmarked for capital costs such as equipment upgrades,” he explained.
Murawsky gave praise to the Port Elgin Rotary Club. “We've got excellent members here. They work hard to fundraise and we're proud of the effort and the things that we do. We're proud that we can raise the funds and give back to our community,” he said. Murawsky explained that in addition to raising funds for local initiatives, the Rotary Club also helps other causes around the world, "but knowing how important the local community is, our hospital is, we decided that this year we wanted to give to that cause," he said.
