KELOWNA, BC, – May 19, 2021.

Restrictions on in-person gathering didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of sixteen Rotary clubs from across the East and West Kootenays from getting creative in support of JoeAnna’s House.  Together, they raised $50,000 from the proceeds of a very popular, ongoing online bingo game.

“We chose JoeAnna’s House because Kelowna General Hospital is the lead referral hospital for our Kootenay communities,” says Bob Finnie from the Rotary Club of Golden.  “Many Kootenay residents have had to travel to Kelowna for care, and thanks to JoeAnna’s House, they have a beautiful place to stay that is close to KGH and their loved ones.”

JoeAnna’s House, which opened its doors in November 2019, is located on the KGH campus and provides much-needed short term accommodations for the families of patients from outside the Central Okanagan who must travel to KGH for advanced or specialized medical care.

“We’ve welcomed dozens of families from the Kootenays in our first year of operation,” says Darlene Haslock, Manager of JoeAnna’s House. “It is incredibly heart-warming to receive gifts like this generated in the home communities we serve.”

JoeAnna’s House, which provides 20 guest bedrooms for out of town families, is managed with a small staff and dedicated volunteers and funded entirely by the generosity of donors.

From left; Bob Finnie, Director, Rotary Club of Golden; Ruth Finnie; Clare Mallow, JoeAnna’s House volunteer and KGH Foundation board member; Doug Rankmore, CEO, KGH Foundation; Allison Ramchuk, Chief Development Officer, KGH Foundation and; Darlene Haslock, Manager, JoeAnna’s House.

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.