KELOWNA, BC, – October 12th, 2021
This Thursday, starting bright and early at 6 am at the corner of Royal Ave. and Abbott St., the KGH Foundation hosts its second annual Day of Giving in support of JoeAnna’s House.
All day long, those who wish to support the much-needed home away from home for the families of out of town KGH patients, are encouraged to make a donation! The one-day fundraising event provides many opportunities for the community get involved.
“Come by our drive thru donation station and give in person at JoeAnna’s House. We’d love to see everyone!” says Bettina Muller, Events Manager for the KGH Foundation. “Or, it’s as easy as giving a gift online!”
Save-on-Foods is hosting a by-donation drive thru breakfast at JoeAnna’s House from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. Businesses and corporate teams are encouraged to join the Corporate Challenge by making a donation and challenging others in their industry or sector to do the same.
Since opening in November 2019, JoeAnna’s House has provided a safe haven for hundreds of regional families needing a place to stay close to Kelowna General Hospital while their loved ones receive advanced medical care.
Hosts from Pattison radio stations, 103.1 Beach Radio and 104.7 The Lizard, will be on-site from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., sharing first-hand stories from JoeAnna’s House guests and the impact it had for their families during very stressful times.
“Our community is special because of our ability to work together,” says Karl Johnston, General Manager, Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, Okanagan. “Our local hospital and patients needing emergency or specialized medical care, will benefit from our support now more than ever. JoeAnna’s House provides an invaluable resource to these families.”
As the lead referral hospital for up to 1 million residents in the BC interior, at any given time, one in four beds at KGH is occupied by someone outside the Central Okanagan. Even throughout the pandemic – families still travel to Kelowna to support their loved ones and are now under more strain than ever.
Amy and Daniel Smart, from Cranbrook, B.C., spent nearly two weeks at JoeAnna’s House while their infant daughter, Evelyn, was in the NICU at KGH. They are sharing their story on Better Together Day to help raises funds for JoeAnna’s House.
For so many families wanting to maintain a presence at KGH for the period of their loved ones treatment, the travel and lack of affordable short-term accommodation in Kelowna adds significantly to their hardship.
JoeAnna’s House relies solely on the continued generosity of the community to remain open.
“Once they walk into JoeAnna’s House, you can visibly see the stress coming off of them. They wake up knowing that we’re taking care of them, so they can focus on taking care of their loved ones,” says Darlene Haslock, Manager of JoeAnna’s House.
“The impact of giving to JoeAnna’s House is knowing that you are supporting a family, at probably the worst time in their life,” says Darlene. “It’s knowing that you are putting a roof over somebody’s head when the last thing they need to worry about is where they are going to sleep at night.”
For more information on Better Together Day and to give to JoeAnna’s House, please visit joeannashouse.com.
Since 1978, the KGH Foundation has worked with a generous community to raise funds to support world-class healthcare close to home for a rapidly expanding and diverse population in the interior of B.C. Today, the KGH Foundation is the lead fundraising organization for Kelowna General Hospital and its associated facilities, JoeAnna’s House and Central Okanagan Hospice House.