Mental health campaign $7 million away from its goal
There’s $7 million to go, says the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation’s director of donor relations.
With close to a year left in campaigning, the foundation is hoping to raise $25 million for an acute mental health building. The new four-storey, 26-bed facility includes a space for the University of British Columbia faculty of medicine and a new ambulance station for BC Ambulance Service. It will replace the current Activation building. The province is backing the project to the tune of $38.2 million.
Support from the community has been stronger than the foundation expected, Kristy Gill says.
“We have over 3,500 donors,” she says.
Donations range in size from $5 into the millions. The largest donation to date was made in May by West Vancouver resident and philanthropist Robert H.N. Ho and his wife, Greta. The couple handed over a cheque worth $10 million.
Last week, TD Banking Group pledged $250,000. The company felt the facility will not only provide a state-of-the-art centre where individuals affected by mental health and addictions can receive treatment, but will also help train physicians, says Jane Russell, senior vice-president for the pacific region of TD Canada Trust.
There will be a dedicated floor for out-patient psychiatric programs that will serve hundreds of people on the North Shore, Gill says. Construction on the 150,000-square-foot building is scheduled to begin in fall of 2012.
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.