Holiday Giving to KGH Funds Items on Hospital Wish List

KELOWNA, BC, January 26th, 2026 – Kelowna General Hospital (KGH) received a big boost this holiday season, thanks to an incredible $673,149 and 1019 gifts from the community. Donations to the KGH Foundation’s 2025 Gift of Hope campaign provided funding for translation services, an innovative rehabilitation program, and long-overdue updates to family waiting rooms in KGH’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), just to name a few. 

“We are so grateful to all who gave to our seasonal campaign to support KGH,” shares Allison Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation. “At some point, all of us will rely on KGH, and the incredible care being provided by our hospital staff. It is a place of hope, but also of pride. Our hospital staff is always there for us, and this level of generosity shows just how appreciative our community is. Every donation will make a world of difference for those facing health challenges in our region.” 

Supporting a loved one in intensive care is one of the most difficult times a family will face. KGH’s Intensive Care Unit features two family waiting rooms where loved ones can gather to await news, connect with care teams, and make difficult decisions about a loved one’s final days. These spaces house some of the heaviest emotions in the hospital and are long overdue for renovation. Thanks to seasonal gifts, they will be renovated with new furniture, flooring, lighting, paint, and artwork, creating calmer, more private environments for families navigating some of the most emotional moments of their lives. 

With many new Canadians in the region, the need for translation services at KGH has never been greater. Clinical iPads for translation services are already being used with rave reviews. The simplified, touch screen technology helps break down language barriers and enables real-time communication between care givers and patients. But with limited supply of iPads available, access across departments has become increasingly challenging. This year, funds from the seasonal campaign enabled the acquisition of five additional iPads to accommodate increased demand. 

Seasonal gifts will also fund an innovative rehabilitation program at KGH, Harmonicas for Health (& Happiness). Designed for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the program teaches participants to better control their breathing while strengthening respiratory muscles through harmonica lessons. Delivered online, the course also helps reduce isolation, something many living with COPD experience.

Importantly, the KGH Foundation also relies on the seasonal campaign to support the ‘Area of Greatest Need’, which allows the charity to be nimble and responsive in funding emerging and urgent needs at KGH as they arise.

“Unrestricted funding, or funding that is not tied to specific area of care, is essential,” explains Young. “It allows us to act quickly when the unexpected happens, whether that’s equipment failure, sudden clinical needs, wildfires, or a global pandemic.”

Of the total raised over the holiday season, over $213,290 was given to support JoeAnna’s House. This will help the home build its ten-room expansion, and welcome more out of town families inside while their loved ones receive care at KGH.

To learn more about the KGH Foundation and how donor support is transforming health care in the Southern Interior, visit kghfoundation.com.