Fundraising

Maple Grove students STOMP over to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation with a generous donation!

When Grade 8 students — now graduates — Leila Ben Mohamed and Chris Coggins arrived at the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation office at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital to present a cheque for $759.15, the Maple Grove students were excited to share how they came to raise the money and why they chose to donate to the foundation. They were part of STOMP, a pilot project aimed at helping students in grades 7 to 12 develop an understanding of the factors influencing tobacco use and vaping and the consequences.

STOMP stands for Students Together Moving to Prevent Tobacco Use, explained faculty adviser and Grade 7 teacher Max Taylor. The group consists of student council members, athletes and kids who have experienced vaping themselves. Vaping is pretty common among students especially in the bathrooms, Leila and Chris agree. Smoking not so much. Kids perceive that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking and don’t appreciate the dangers, their teacher pointed out. It’s more accessible and “you’re not walking around smelling of it.”

“It’s a program where you’re helping the community, you’re helping kids and your friends be aware of vaping and it’s a powerful message,” said Chris.

Leila explained that they made presentations to each class, followed by making posters inspired by the STOMP message. Leila and another student, Faith Lewis, were interviewed about STOMP on Y95. They also had donation jars in each classroom, Chris added. “If you raised a certain amount of money, Mr. Taylor would get pied in the face.” He wasn’t the only teacher to volunteer to get up close and personal with a whipped cream pie. And there’s video — lots of video!

Chris said the program has had a good response and made at least one convert. A friend of his stopped after hearing their presentation.

“We chose the foundation to donate to because most people affected by smoking or vaping have to come to the hospital if they are having problems,” Leila said. “Everyone needs the hospital one time or another.”

“We love to see donations from student groups and schools,” said foundation managing director Mary Surette. “We really appreciate their generosity at a young age. A huge thank you to these extraordinary young people!”

Maple Grove is one of about a dozen test locations across Canada for STOMP, an initiative of Physical Health and Education Canada. The two-year pilot project was launched at Maple Grove for the 2022-23 school year.

YRH Spring Appeal 2023 to bring a new service for Women’s Health at Yarmouth Regional Hospital

Imagine for a moment, a woman suffering with pain and abnormal uterine bleeding symptoms caused by polyps or fibroids is told that these tissues must be removed. Well, thanks to advances in medical technology, this can be done in a safe, efficient and accurate way with the MyoSure® tissue removal procedure. This procedure is an alternative to major surgery, it typically doesn’t last more than half an hour, causes minimal trauma to the uterus and surrounding area and, incredibly, most patients can go back to their daily routine in one to two days!

But here’s a bit of shocking information – Yarmouth Regional Hospital is the only regional hospital in the province that does not have a MyoSure® device! This means that women in our community requiring this medical procedure need to travel two to three hours to Kentville or Halifax to have this done!

Together we can change that! This Spring, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation has committed to fund the purchase of a MyoSure® device for Women’s Health at a cost of $76,912.50, bringing this new service here at your regional hospital. The MyoSure® tissue removal procedure will revolutionise hysteroscopic treatments, especially those for uterine fibroids and polyps. Uterine fibroids, in the past, could lead to abdominal pain, heavy bleeding, painful cycles and infertility.

Dr. Elissa Cohen, the OB/GYN physician in Yarmouth Regional Hospital, told us: “The MyoSure® device would also allow us to identify and resect (surgically remove) cancers and thus reduce the morbidity and mortality among the women that we serve. Additionally, this instrument not only helps identify and resect lesions under direct visualization, it helps diagnose malignant and benign conditions that impair the quality of life and function for the women of our community.”

Will you join us in supporting your regional hospital with a donation towards this important equipment?

You can donate by e-transfer to info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca or online at yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca.

“The women in our community deserve the safest, most up to date standard of care treatment, and that includes MyoSure® for management of their gynecological concerns,” Dr. Cohen added, and we couldn’t agree more! Together, we can make this a reality for the women of the Tri-Counties.

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Charity Art Auction 2023 to raise money for Women’s Health

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is hosting an online auction as part of our fundraising drive towards a new service for Women’s Health this spring! We are raising money towards the purchase of a MyoSure® system, which will provide an alternative to major surgery or travel for many gynecological conditions: we’re very excited about this, because Yarmouth is the only regional hospital in the province that doesn’t have this equipment —YET!

Local artists and artisans have donated their paintings, pottery, sculptures, and stained glass towards this endeavor, and you can see all of these treasures at the Yarmouth Mall before you bid!

Help raise money for your regional hospital, and take home something beautiful and unique! Our 100% online auction can be found at www.32auctions.com/2023YHFArtAuction and runs from May 20th until June 20th!

Good luck and happy bidding!

Your contribution will help provide the safest and most up-to- date standard of care treatment for the women of the Tri-Counties, right here at your regional hospital.

Radiothon Reflections, 2023

So, it almost goes without saying that we were extremely excited that the 2023 WE CARE Radiothon was planned to be open to the public again, thanks to Yarmouth Mall for hosting Radiothon Headquarters once more and the Y95 radio station being able to host visitors again. Last year’s virtual Radiothon was a unique experience, but the entire committee, under the leadership of our co-chairs Joy Gillespie and Peggy Green, was absolutely enthused at the thought of getting to bring the public into Radiothon again!

And what a year to do it: the YHF board selected three pieces of equipment (a portable ultrasound, a bladder scanner & an electrocardiogram machine) for the Yarmouth Regional Hospital Emergency Department as our fundraising focus! If there’s anything that we can all agree on, it’s that the Emergency Department needs our help! It was the second year for the online auction, which was, in itself a great fundraiser with generous donations from businesses and artists throughout the Tri-County area. Everything was building to a perfect day…

And March 2nd came in ‘like a lion’: it started out snowy, and it got snowier! But that didn’t stop the Tri-Counties for coming out for the Emergency Department in a big way: we raised over $160,000! This included $18,000 to purchase the bladder scanner outright from the Yarmouth Professional Fire Fighters Assoc. Local 2094, and over $11,000 from our auction!

With the day turning out like that, even with the weather going the way it did, all we can say is THANK YOU, TRI-COUNTIES for showing, once again, just how much you CARE!

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Christmas Appeal was a great success: Thank you!

The Christmas Appeal in support of Medical Device Reprocessing (and additional urology services) was a great success!THANK YOU: Once again we at YHF are in awe of our donors and are delighted to announce that the Christmas Appeal in support of Medical Device Reprocessing (and additional urology services) was a great success!

Yarmouth Regional Hospital will gain the capacity for low-temperature sterilization! This means that, for example, our urologists will be able to offer a 10-minute cystoscope procedure that patients in the Tri-Counties previously have had to travel to Kentville or Bridgewater to undergo. Imagine the relief for these patients!

Our regional hospital touches the lives of many individuals and families from the Tri-County region every single day of the year. Health care equipment is expensive, and the technology is continually updating. Your donations, like the ones that funded this V-Pro Low Temp Sterilizer for Medical Device Reprocessing, continue to provide our care teams with the essential tools they need to provide the best care possible in keeping our families and our community healthy.

Christmas Appeal 2022: V-Pro Low Temperature Sterilizer for MDR

This season of giving, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation has announced that the focus of our annual Christmas Appeal is a V-Pro Low Temperature Sterilizer for the Medical Device Reprocessing Department. The total cost of the equipment is $138,000.

This equipment is urgently necessary at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital, says Medical Device Reprocessing Department manager, Danny LeBlanc. “Low-temperature sterilizers are the most efficient and effective way to sterilize items that are heat sensitive, items such as cystoscopes,” LeBlanc explains.

Gaining the capacity for low-temperature sterilization means Yarmouth Regional Hospital can now offer the 10-minute procedure that patients in the Tri-Counties previously have had to travel to Kentville or Bridgewater to undergo.

Urologist Dr. Trevor Butler, explains that “the addition of the flexible cystoscopy service at Yarmouth Regional Hospital will be critical in providing timely investigation and management of patients with bladder cancer and other bladder conditions.”

That’s welcome news to patients like Linda from Carleton, who has made the five-hour return trip to Kentville twice a year for the past seven years.

With this purchase of state-of-the-art sterilization equipment, turn-around time needed for reprocessing necessary equipment will be reduced, meaning more procedures can be conducted. Every medical department in your regional hospital is impacted by the work of the Medical Device Reprocessing Department.

“Your donation is a gift to your regional hospital, and a gift of accessible health care for our communities,” says YHF Board Chair Neil LeBlanc. “Purchasing this equipment will mean a very Merry Christmas at Yarmouth Regional Hospital. Will you help us?”

You can donate by e-transfer to info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca or online at yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca.

Together, we can improve patient care and invest in our collective future by keeping Yarmouth Regional Hospital and the Tri-County area at the cutting edge of modern medical technology.

Start the (Hockey) Season a Winner with YHF’s Raffle

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is pleased to announce our Start the Season a Winner hockey raffle!

  • Grand Prize: One Yarmouth County Minor Hockey Association registration* + $500 Canadian Tire gift card
    • Value $1,100 (*winner will have their pre-paid YCMHA registration refunded)
  • 2nd Prize: $100 Yarmouth Junior A Mariners gift certificate (good for game tickets, canteen, or merchandise)

This raffle is fundraising towards the $16,921 cost of a brand new Airwave Oscillometry System for Respiratory Services at Yarmouth Regional Hospital.

Oscillometry is a fast, easy and safe way to assess small airway function. It is innovative technology that helps monitor respiratory diseases such as asthma, COPD or sleep apnea. It measures lung function without strain, requiring only normal breathing; as such, it is especially beneficial for use with children, the elderly and those with neuromuscular diseases or impaired intellect.

Tickets are online only:   1 for $5, 3 for $10, 8 for $20.

Sales end at 11:59pm on November 10, 2022 with the draw taking place at Yarmouth Regional Hospital at 3pm on November 15, 2022.

Thank you for your support. Purchasing your raffle ticket(s) makes a real difference to respiratory patients in the Tri-Counties!

 

Players must over 19 years of age or older and must reside in Nova Scotia.  Full terms & conditions available on our Rafflebox site.

Licence # AGD-319200-22

 

 

Keep the love going!

The last two years have been challenging for all of us, but we have never stopped working for you. Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s work with your regional hospital has never been so important as it has been during the pandemic and during this time of crisis in Canadian health care. Through the generosity of donors like you, new services become available each year to help reduce the burden of travel on Tri-County residents. Your donations also enable major contributions to initiatives around recruiting and retaining doctors in our area, and fund nine scholarships to the Dalhousie School of Nursing, Yarmouth Campus.

Our resolve to do more to improve the provision of health care in the area served by Yarmouth Regional Hospital has made us look for ways to do things differently. This is why we continue to partner with Will Power, a national movement inspiring Canadians to think differently about charitable giving, and support the causes they care about through a gift in their Wills.

Most of us spend a lifetime contributing to a cause that’s close to our heart. But more and more Canadians are going one step further to leave a gift to charity in their Will. You can make a bigger contribution than you ever thought possible, without using any of the money you need now. It’s also important to consider that a charitable gift in your Will can go a long way towards reducing the amount of taxes to be levied against your estate after you pass. You can read about some of the tax advantages of giving through your Will here, and how some clever financial planning may actually empower you to do more with your estate than you might have realised possible.

You’ve always found ways of giving back. Keep the love going. Support Yarmouth Hospital Foundation in your Will.

September is Will Power Month

We are lucky. Supporters of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation are thoughtful individuals who share a concern for health care in the Tri-Counties now and for generations to come.
Often people think about contributing to the causes they care about with monthly donations or volunteering time, but there is a growing number of people who are going one step further to leave a gift to charity in their Wills. Did you know the Canadian government has created some of the best tax incentives in the world to encourage more giving to charity, especially from your estate? You can make a powerful contribution that will last for generations to come, without taking away from the resources you or your family needs.
When you look into it, you may be surprised to learn that a donation of as little as a 1% of your estate can result in a bigger contribution than you ever thought possible. You are still leaving 99% of your estate to support your loved ones, and you’re not using any of the money you need now.
You can find out more on our Will Power site or you can contact us at (902)749-1669 to find out more.

Giving from her big red heart: the nine-year-old donor inspiring Yarmouth Hospital Foundation

Sophia Moulaison is just 9 years old — 9 and a half, actually — but she’s already learned how to be kind and generous.

A few weeks ago, a hand-written letter arrived in the office of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation signed by Sophia with her name and a big red heart. “You have done so much for our community,” she wrote. “A big thanks to you, Yarmouth Hospital.”

Sophia was visiting her grandparents — Lorna and Brian Amirault — when they opened their mail, including Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s Spring Appeal newsletter. The letter described our goal, to raise money towards the $70,000 purchase of two multi-parameter vital signs monitors for the Emergency Department. The monitors provide information on blood pressure, oxygen saturation, cardiac activity and more. “I thought I should probably send something back and I didn’t have a lot of money, so I wrote the note and Grammy put some money in there,” Sophie explained.

“Sophia’s letter and contribution have been an inspiration,” said Mary Surette, managing director of Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, when she met with Sophia to bring her the charitable receipt for her gift. Sophia’s letter has been framed and proudly displayed on Mary’s office wall.

This fall, Sophia will be entering grade 4 at Meadowfields, but she already has big plans for her future. “I want to be a nurse when I grow up,” she confessed. In the meantime, she is enjoying day camp and looking forward to a trip to Disney World in August, particularly the roller coasters.  (Mom Melissa Moulaison, a teacher at Maple Grove, said Sophia is a thrill seeker by nature.)

Our young philanthropist has said that she intends to continue to support the foundation and other worthwhile charities in the future. If you’d like to follow Sophia’s lead, you can do so in the following ways:

Help us win $20,000 through the Great Canadian Giving Challenge!

Every dollar that you donate to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation through CanadaHelps from June 1st to 30th, 2022, is an entry into a draw for us to win $20,000 that we could put into your regional hospital! “Every $1 donated gives your favourite charity the chance to win so the more you give, the greater the chances your charity has to WIN the grand prize!”

The Great Canadian Giving Challenge coincides perfectly with our Spring Appeal, so we’re pretty thrilled. It’s a great time to encourage the generosity of the Tri-County area towards Yarmouth Regional Hospital, and $20,000 would be a wonderful boost for us. In fact, it would be such a great boost that we’ve decided to sweeten the pot for you, our donors, and have our own draw.

Every donation received by Yarmouth Hospital Foundation through CanadaHelps from June 1st to 30th will get you entered into a draw at the end of the month to win… a prepaid VISA card loaded with $250!  It’s win/win! What would you do with an extra $250 in your pocket?

And what would we do with an extra $20,000 in ours? Well, our Spring Appeal is raising funds towards two multiparameter monitors for you regional hospital’s Emergency Department — those are $37,500 each — so this extra $20,000 means we would be halfway towards purchasing one of these, or maybe even a third monitor for your ED! How exciting is that?

 

What do you think? Do you feel lucky? https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/yarmouth-hospital-foundation/

Spring Appeal 2022: Multiparameter vital signs monitors for ER!

Did you know that your Emergency Department had a total of 27,579 visits last year? That’s an average of about 76 visits every single day of 2021!

Your Emergency Department is in urgent need of new patient monitoring equipment — so the YHF Board has selected two multiparameter monitors for your Emergency Department as the focus of the 2022 Spring Appeal.

Multiparameter patient monitoring equipment is used to track vital signs, like heart rate, blood pressure, etc. and variance or variability in these signs. These state-of-the-art monitors assist with diagnosing conditions such as hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as helping identify risks such as heart attack or stroke.

Dr. Lauren Maher notes that new monitors are essential for the Emergency Department as, without them, “You feel blind…as a doctor trying to treat the patient. And you need to rely even more so on nursing staff who are already overwhelmed. This equipment, whether it be for cardiac reasons or unstable or potentially unstable patients, is like a constant set of eyes.”

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation is committed to fund a total of eight multiparameter monitors for ED this year — but right now, we’re focusing on getting two of these fully funded by the summer. Each unit costs $37,500, so our target this time is $75,000. Will you help us reach it and purchase this essential equipment for your regional hospital?

You can donate by e-transfer to info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca or online at yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca.

Together, we can improve patient care and invest in our collective future by keeping Yarmouth Regional Hospital and the Tri-County area at the cutting edge of modern medical technology.

YHF Spring Gala: Thanks for the memories!

From 2005 to 2019, the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation (YHF) Spring Gala was known by many as the fundraising event of the year in Yarmouth!  And what an event it was: even with the glamour and the incredible food, the delightful themes and the dancing (oh, the dancing!), the generosity of our donors always made for a memorable evening.

However, after many discussions, a decision was made by the YHF Board to retire the gala from the Foundation’s fundraising program.  This decision was not made lightly and is aligned with the adopted YHF Strategic Plan.

As we look back on this chapter of the gala, and on behalf of the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, I want you to know how thankful and grateful we are for your tremendous support.  During the 15 years of the gala over $632,000 was raised for vital equipment needs such as a CT scanner, a portable ultrasound and radiant infant warmers to name a few.

Thank you, this couldn’t have been possible without you.

Thank you for your ongoing dedication towards healthcare and the impact on health and wellness that your support brings to your friends, family and loved ones in your community.

Thank you for making a difference in healthcare.

Thank you for the memories…

Radiothon Reflections…

♥ Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s We Care Radiothon 2022 ♥ was an incredible success — but it was one of the most unusual events that the Foundation has ever had. Now, looking back over all that was accomplished, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on things: not just the bustle and work, but on the ways in which our donors and community keep surprising us with just how much you all do care.

When Omicron hit Nova Scotia after we sent out the Radiothon ‘save the date’ cards, we realized that we were in a pickle. We needed to put some protections in place for our community, and do whatever we could to keep our donors & volunteers safe. This led to the decision to hold first-ever all-virtual event, a month after our usual date! What would an ‘all-virtual’ Radiothon look like? No one was exactly certain, but our intrepid committee put on their thinking caps and rose to the challenge — as did our presenting sponsor, Y95.5. When we came to them with a request to change the date from February to March, they didn’t bat an eye. So, March it became.

We also launched some new initiatives to engage with our community since we couldn’t just invite you all to join us in the hospital lobby — again. Our Trivia Contest was so much fun and so interesting — who could have imagined that Yarmouth Regional Hospital did sooo much laundry every day? Or that our hard-working Environmental Services workers use, on average, fifty (50!) pairs of disposable gloves a day — and dispenses 144 rolls of paper towels a week! We also can’t forget how our first-ever online Auction was the source of much excitement thanks to the generous prizes we had donated and the buzz around the bidding!

Talking of donors, it was amazing to see so many returning sponsors and community partners who had been generous with their donations stepping up to be official sponsors this year. With Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s We Care Radiothon as our sole remaining major fundraising event, some of the sponsors of our other events ‘jumped ship’ to come and support Radiothon, and we couldn’t be more grateful. Yarmouth Mall also rose to the occasion for us, letting us have retail space for another year to host our phone room, social media station and all the general business of running the back end of Radiothon.

And you, our donors, our community, you showed up — as you always do — in an incredible way. There’s still an electric current in the Foundation office every time we think about it: $178,000+! What a total! What generosity! It shows us just how much people of the Tri-Counties support their regional hospital and want to step up to make an impact on healthcare. And you are making such a difference.

Thank you.

♥♥♥

Ways to Donate to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s WeCare Radiothon 2022 ❤️

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s WeCare Radiothon 2022 is coming this Thursday! ❤️ Please join us for this major fundraising event: every dollar we raise will make a difference to your Regional Hospital serving the tri-counties of Digby, Shelburne & Yarmouth!❤️

Did you know, you can donate to us in a variety of ways?

Firstly, you could challenge your friends & start a fundraising push of matching donations. For details, check out this page of our site: http://yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca/radiothon-challenges/

Secondly: you can send your donation to Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s WeCare Radiothon 2022 through e-Transfer using the email address: info@yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca. Please be sure to include your phone number, address and any details pertinent to the donation in the “Message” field so we can issue your tax receipt. For more information, check out our website: http://yarmouthhospitalfoundation.ca/e-transfer/

Thirdly: you can donate Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s WeCare Radiothon 2022 ❤️ through our CanadaHelps page: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/15872

Fourth: you could go and bid on one of the incredible offerings in our fundraising auction. Today is the last day, and the auction ends at 3pm!

Whichever you choose to do, call our ❤️ WeCare Hotline ❤️ on Thursday to let us know — or to pledge your support for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s WeCare Radiothon 2022! : 1-844-866-6464

Our Board Members & volunteers are waiting to thank you for your donation towards healthcare in the Tri-County Area!

Radiothon Challenges!

With Yarmouth Hospital Foundation’s We Care Radiothon 2022 coming up this week, why not make a pledge and challenge your friends, family, peers or colleagues to match it?

Check out this handy Challenges & Matching Gifts promotional tool kit for ideas and view a sample challenge video.

 

Consider changing your Facebook icon to one of the following to let your friends know you’re raising money for Yarmouth Hospital Foundation

Welcome to the YHF WE CARE Trivia Contest!

How much do you know about Yarmouth Regional Hospital, and Yarmouth Hospital Foundation?

Yarmouth Hospital Foundation and our presenting partner Y95.5 radio station are jointly hosting a trivia contest in the lead up to this year’s All Virtual We Care Radiothon with prizes donated generously by Rayanne and Aldric Robicheau (thank you both so much!).

Every (business) day from Thursday, February 17th to Wednesday, March 2nd there will be two opportunities (two different questions) to win a gift card worth $25 for gas at the Petrocan station at the corner of Starrs Rd. and the Haley Rd. Each day, Y95.5 will ask one trivia question on-air and pick their daily winner. YHF will be posting a different trivia question each day at 9am on our Facebook page.

 

To win on Facebook, you must —

1) Like & Follow the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation Facebook Page.

2) Like the post with the day’s trivia question.

3) Answer the trivia question correctly!

All contestants who fulfill these three simple requirements will be entered into a random draw to win, and the winner will be notified the same day at 4pm! We will then message you to make arrangements to get you your prize.

Tag a friend on your correct answer to double your chance to win!

 

Terms & Conditions

  • The daily Facebook trivia closes at 4pm Atlantic Time every day from 17 Feb – 2 Mar.
  • The daily winner will be randomly selected and posted here no later than 5pm Atlantic time the same day except for Monday, 21 February, which is a stat holiday. The winner of the trivia contest on Monday, 21 February will posted to Facebook and notified no later than Tuesday, 22 February. Entries posted past 4pm that day will not be counted.
  • Only one winner will be selected each day on Facebook, and one additional winner will be selected through Y95 and their version of this contest.
  • The trivia contest is limited to residents of the Tri-Counties of Yarmouth, Shelburne & Digby, Nova Scotia.
  • Facebook is not affiliated in any way with this contest.

2022 YHF WE CARE Radiothon Auction

The 2022 WE CARE Radiothon (coming to you on March 3rd with Y95.5) is raising money for some cardiac equipment for our Diagnostic Imaging Department. You can play a vital role in this fundraising effort through supporting our fundraising auction — and the 2022 WE CARE Radiothon itself. All funds raised from this online auction will be added to the Radiothon today and will support the purchase of this cardiac equipment.

“The support of the hospital foundation in purchasing this equipment has helped us successfully recruit a Cardiologist to Yarmouth, something we have been without for 8 years!” says Dr. Brian Moses. “This new Cardiologist, along with the equipment, will give us further testing and treatment capabilities here which will mean less travel to Kentville or Halifax for patients from the tri-county area.”

Items donated to us for auction include some gorgeous memorabilia from the worlds of music and hockey, local art, and three chances to win the ultimate getaway for two at Nova Scotia’s premier luxury wilderness resort & hotel.