This year’s record breaking Day of Giving only proved how invested our community is in bringing Vinni home. Thanks to many, many generous individuals, families, and organizations, a record breaking $1,236,527 was raised to help transform surgical care at KGH.

The funds will support the acquisition of Vinni who, once implemented, will be the first system of its kind in the Interior Health region and a pivotal step toward establishing KGH as a Centre of Surgical Excellence in BC.

Among the most powerful moments on Day of Giving was a surprise phone call from Cliff and Lois Serwa, who pledged an additional $500,000 matching donation. Their gift was timely as we were about to exceed our original match of $500,000 and kept the momentum going to inspire giving beyond the event.

Guided by their family’s simple but powerful philosophy, “If you’ve got it, give it,” the Serwas’ generosity ensures that every new donation will continue to be matched, dollar for dollar.

The Day of Giving has pushed the total surgical robotics campaign past $4.06 million of its $6 million goal. Now, the dream of bringing Vinni home is well on its way to becoming a reality.

Kelowna resident Michele Therriault experienced the life-changing benefits of robotic-assisted surgery firsthand when she had to travel to Vancouver to save her kidney.

 “I feel incredibly lucky my surgeon could use robotics,” Michele shares. “By the second day, I was up and moving, people couldn’t believe I’d just had surgery. My incisions were about 1 inch each. By the second week I was able to do a lot and care for myself. People need to understand this technology made my major surgery feel much less then that. This is the future of health care, and it’s going to change everything.”

Michele’s experience reflects a growing challenge. As the Southern Interior’s primary referral hospital, KGH serves nearly one million people, yet many patients still must travel to other centres for advanced procedures, adding financial strain and emotional stress to an already difficult time.

“If this surgery had been available in Kelowna, I could’ve walked to the hospital, had my family by my side, and recovered sooner in my own bed,” adds Michele. “I was blown away by how quickly I am healing. I truly hope we can bring this care to our community soon.”

The surgical robotics campaign is part of the Foundation’s broader Closer to Home Than You Think initiative, a bold $40 million effort to transform health care at KGH and across the Southern Interior. With over $30 million already raised, momentum is strong.

The overwhelming success of this year’s Day of Giving is proof of what’s possible when a community rallies behind a bold vision. With every gift, our region moves closer to a future where world-class surgical care is not the exception but the standard. To everyone who stepped up, thank you. Your generosity is not only transforming patient care at KGH—it’s changing lives.

Together, we can bring Vinni home and ensure KGH remains at the forefront of surgical excellence.