ROSTHERN — After holding a successful 50/50 lottery fundraiser in the fall, the Sask Valley Hospital Foundation (SVHF) is next gearing up for a spring fundraiser featuring a famed country music duo from Saskatchewan.
From early September to the end of November, the SVHF sold tickets in its annual 50/50 lottery draw, which ended up bringing in around $10,000 after expenses, according to foundation administrator Guylaine Green.
“The winner took home just over $16,000, which is great,” she added.
Now, the SVHF is gearing up to host an event on Saturday, March 22, featuring The Johner Brothers.
Ken and Brad Johner reached the top of the Canadian country singles chart in 1991 and continued to put out a number of award-winning songs and albums over the next several years.
The duo disbanded in 2001 as Ken decided to retire from the music scene, leaving Brad to pursue a solo career. However, in recent years, the brothers have been holding benefit concerts across western Canada.
“It’s both of them back together again, and I want to say that some of Brad’s boys are included in that,” said Green.
She said she knows of other venues where the Johners have been performing, and they continue to fill the house.
“So we’re really looking forward to that,” she said, adding that further information about the March 22 fundraiser will be coming soon.
2024 Milestones
The SVHF is the charity tasked with raising funds in order to build a new hospital in Rosthern.
The current Rosthern hospital was built in 1950, and while several additions have been made over the years, two engineering consultations have revealed some major issues with the aging building, necessitating the construction of a new hospital.
The province is paying for a majority of the project, while eight municipalities (the Towns of Duck Lake, Hague, Hepburn, Rosthern and Waldheim, as well as the RMs of Duck Lake, Laird and Rosthern) have agreed to contribute a portion of their tax levies.
Between those funds and the proceeds of various events/draws, nearly $7.3 million has been raised for the project, Green indicated.
Based on her conversations with board members, Green said the number of donations towards the new hospital is growing each year.
