Already at the $250,000 mark for fundraising efforts this year, the Auxiliary to University Hospital of Northern B.C. will celebrate Health Care Auxiliary Day Tuesday, May 10, as designated by the Province of B.C.
The public is invited to join in the fun outside the Auxiliary Gift Shop in the foyer of the hospital from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday and celebrate with ice cream sundaes.
The celebration is to showcase volunteers who support local hospitals by raising much-needed funds and providing services to patients and residents at the hospital that makes their stay more comfortable.
In Prince George there are about 185 volunteers that work a minimum of three hours a week on a regular shift, said Linda Hohn, president of the auxiliary that's been around since 1919. Volunteers will be on hand in the foyer with tables set up for a book sale, a display that offers a bit of history of the hospital and, of course, ice cream sundaes, added Hohn.
"People can talk to any of our volunteers and find out more about what the auxiliary is really all about," said Hohn.
"It's an opportunity to say thank you to our customers and thank you to our volunteers for all that they do."
So far in 2016 funding has gone to an immunohistochemistry analyser in the amount of $130,250 and $120,000 has gone to a holmium laser.
In 2015 the auxiliary funded $225,888.82 to purchase ICU beds, a medical overflow warming cabinet, an angel lift for nuclear medicine, six ceiling lifts for acutre care, a retinal vitectomy machine used in eye surgery and $50,000 to a maldi tof mass spectrometer.
There was a total of 32,500 volunteer hours donated in 2015.
Holn encourages everyone to take a look at what the auxiliary has to offer at the gift shop in the hospital and the thrift shop located at 1523 Third Ave.
Those interested in volunteering for the auxiliary for a three-hour regular shift once a week, especially in the gift shop and thrift store, can visit the gift shop or come to the celebration or call 250-565-2231 for more information or go online to pgauxiliary.ca.
