For the fourth year in a row the Health Foundation is teaming with GX94 and FOX FM to hold a radiothon to raise funds for Foundation projects.
CJGX Radio hosts the 36 hour radiothon at no charge to the Health Foundation, absorbing all of the on-air costs so that 100 per cent of all donations made to the Airwaves for Health Radiothon can go directly to health care. To aid in that, Parkland Mall provides space at no charge and SaskTel provides phone lines at no charge.
Lyle Walsh, general manager of GX94 and FOX FM said the radiothon has proven a good fundraising vehicle for the Health Foundation.
"The past four have been very successful," said Walsh, noting the first four years have seen $220,000 raised.
Ross Fisher, Executive Director with the Health Foundation agreed the vehicle works.
"The radiothon has proven to be a wonderful tool for us," he said.
This year Sunrise Health Region is moving forward with the development of a conceptual plan for the building of a new regional hospital. The funds from this year's radiothon will go toward funding the conceptual plan.
Walsh said the conceptual plan is something he is happy the station is getting involved in promoting.
"It's something we're all pretty excited about," he said.
"That we are planning for a new facility is great news for this region," said Fisher.
However, the government will not fund a conceptual plan; the community will have to raise the funds for it. A conceptual plan will have a cost of approximately $180,000.
"It is very important to have a strong, well funded conceptual plan. We are on the path to a new regional hospital, but when a new hospital will be built, where it will be built, what services it will provide and what the configuration of the new hospital will be has yet to be decided. That is part of the purpose of the conceptual plan."
Fisher said having a plan will be critical because a hospital is built for the future.
"You're not building it for today, but for 10-years out, for 25-years-out," he said, adding reasonably a new hospital will e function for 50 years. " It's important to get this conceptual plan right."
In creating the concept for a new hospital Fisher said many groups must have a voice in the vision, including dialogue with the local community.
Fisher said a new hospital is needed, noting there "are some capacity issues," at the current regional health centre in the city. "It's still functioning well," he added, but there "are some programs we'd like to expand" and there are "space limitations" preventing it.
Having a well-laid out conceptual plan laid out which reflects the needs and expectations of the local region will also help as the project goes to the province for its approval, said Fisher.
Fisher said under recently a recently changed formula the province covers 80 per cent of a capital expenditure such as a new hospital, with the local region needing to raise the remaining 20 per cent, an improvement over the old 65/35 split.
"That makes moving forward much more viable for our region," said Fisher.
The conceptual plan is likely to take 18-24 months to complete, with the project breaking ground in five-to-eight years, said Fisher.
Walsh said the radiothon is more than about raising money.
"It's become kind of an information tool we've been very happy to do," he said.
Fisher said having doctors, nurses and other health care professionals on air talking about the importance of the Health Foundation projects has certainly added to the radiothon in past years.
The radiothon will take place over two radio stations; GX94 (AM) and 94.1 FOX FM, which will ensure a very high level of coverage within our trading area.
The phone number to call to make your radiothon donation is 783-2282.
