Construction of the new acute care tower is underway as part of the Victoria Hospital expansion. (Photo: givealittlelife.ca)

By paNOW Staff

Equip the Vic fundraiser

20th annual Give a Little Life Day radiothon takes the airwaves Friday

Dec 3, 2025 | 6:00 AM

With the transformation of the Victoria Hospital underway, the Boreal Healthcare Foundation is working to ensure it is fully equipped from the very first day, and they’re asking the public to help ‘Give a Little Life’ through the annual radiothon taking place this Friday, Dec. 5.

“This year we’re celebrating the 20-year history of the Give a Little Life Day radiothon and while we’re looking toward the future with the expansion of the Victoria Hospital, we’re talking about some of the immediate needs before that hospital expansion is completed,” said Boreal Healthcare Foundation CEO Cody Barnett.

While the Government of Saskatchewan covers all of the capital costs for the construction of the new acute care tower, it falls to the community and foundation to raise the money necessary to purchase all the equipment the hospital requires. The Equip the Vic campaign is actually a $40 million effort to raise money for all sorts of items, like an MRI and two new CT scanners, among other diagnostic equipment and operating room tools.

“Some of the equipment we’re looking at includes mobile ultrasounds and retina cameras for the NICU that can help with diagnosis and also create safer surgeries in the operating room as well,” Barnett said.

Dr. Shahab Khan is an ophthalmologist who specializes in retina and diabetes care for children. He said early retinal exams are important for newborns, especially those born premature, because their organs, including eyes, are not fully developed.

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“If the treatment is missed in the first few weeks of their life, they can have implications throughout their life, which can affect their vision significantly and can even make them blind. So, that is the reason this is so important to check these babies on a periodic level,” Khan said.

Without the retinal imaging technology in Prince Albert, the babies are required to travel to Saskatoon for the screening which isn’t ideal, especially for those born premature and their families who are already stressed.

Barnett said the expansion of the hospital should result in 10,000 fewer patients overall that will need to travel to Saskatoon and Regina for care.

“At some point in your life, you or a loved one will need our hospital and ensuring that we have the best medical equipment right here in Prince Albert means that our loved ones an get the care we need right where we need it, without having to travel for care,” said Barnett.

Over 20 years, the Give a Little Life Day radiothon has helped raise more than $10 million for the Boreal Healthcare Foundation (formerly known as the Victoria Hospital Foundation). (File photo/paNOW Staff)

In addition to some corporate sponsors that will match hourly donations, Barb and Gord Broda of Prince Albert will match all donations received during the Give A Little Life Day radiothon up to $100,000.

The radiothon will run on all three Pattison Media radio stations in Prince Albert (900 CKBI, Power99 and 101.5 Beach Radio) and will broadcast live from Mann-Northway GM. Donations can be made in person, online or by phone.

This is the 20^th anniversary of the ‘Give a Little Life Day’ (GALLD). In that time, the event has raised over $10 million.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com