ESTEVAN — The Together We Can: MRI for Estevan campaign has raised over $5.2 million towards its $6.5 million goal, marking a major step forward in efforts to bring an MRI scanner to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
The campaign, launched last year following the Saskatchewan government’s approval in its provincial budget, has seen overwhelming support from individuals, businesses and organizations across the southeast.
“We are getting close to the final stretch. We’re 80 per cent of the way there, and we’re still encouraging everybody to continue to support,” said Lori Gervais, executive director of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation.
A key factor in the campaign’s rapid success has been the generosity of local donors. The effort was initially propelled by a $2 million donation from Elaine Walkom, made in memory of her late husband Grant. Most recently, longtime supporter Ron Carson contributed an additional $150,000 to the project, bringing his total donation to $250,000.
“We had some big things coming in lately,” Gervais said. “Ron Carson and his family have been huge supporters of all of our projects over the years.”
Beyond large-scale contributions, grassroots efforts have also played a crucial role. Local businesses, real estate groups and community organizations have helped spread awareness and rally support.
“I have people stopping by daily really with donations, which always are accompanied by their very personal health-care journeys and their stories, which is why it is so important to everybody,” Gervais said.
The funds raised will not only cover the purchase and installation of the MRI scanner but also support renovations to the hospital’s diagnostic imaging centre and staff training.
“The impact of this MRI will be life-changing,” Gervais said. “It will really reduce wait times and allow patients a more timely diagnosis right in the community without the travel ... which is even more valuable in the wintertime, when the roads are bad and people are sick.”
She emphasized that the need for an MRI machine in Estevan has been widely recognized.
“It’s not a hard sell. Everybody agrees that this is an important project, and so we have really, really felt the support, and it shows because we are well on our way to hitting the goal.”
The campaign still needs to raise approximately $1.3 million to reach its final goal. Various fundraising initiatives continue to take place across the region.
“We have people that are out in the community spreading the word, asking people to participate, getting our information into the right hands,” Gervais said.
Several community-led events have helped boost fundraising efforts. The Alida Curling Club is raffling off a quilt, the Elks are planning a golf tournament for July, and SaskPower is donating proceeds from a 50/50 draw at a safety event in the fall. Other organizations, including the Catholic Women’s League in Bienfait and many others, have also made contributions.
One of the big upcoming fundraising events is the 14th annual Radiothon for Life on May 21 at St. Joseph’s Hospital.
“That’ll be another fantastic day of raising money,” Gervais said. “We’ll be on the air from 7 to 7 on the 21st of May.”
With construction timelines being finalized and local contractors being contacted, Gervais hopes continued visibility and public awareness will drive further donations.
“We’re going to see things happening over here,” she said. “We’ll definitely advertise that, be transparent about that, keep that awareness for everybody that’s already contributed to see that their money is going to something real.”
Donations can be made online at , via e-transfer to [email protected], by calling 306-637-2474, or in person at the foundation office. Tax receipts are issued for all donations.
