Left to right, Charles Baillargeon (Meota Musical Productions), Sheila Stensrud (BUH Foundation's Office Administrator) and Sue Pruden-McIvor (BUH Foundation’s Board of Director’s Chair). Baillargeon and Pruden-McIvor helped raise funds to benefit the Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation's campaign to for maternity healthcare. About $15,000 was raised for the BUH Foundation from the combined Meota show and Alex Dillabough dinner-concert event. (submitted photo/BUH Foundation).
Support for healthcare

Community fundraiser raises close to $15,000 for BUH maternity healthcare

Nov 1, 2019 | 9:00 AM

Two community fundraisers have helped raise close to $15,000 to provide support for maternity healthcare at Battlefords Union Hospital.

A dinner-concert fundraiser called Rock And Rattle at the Alex Dillabough Centre in Battleford Sept. 28 raised $15,934 in total, with 50 per cent benefitting Battlefords Union Hospital (BUH) Foundation to purchase equipment for maternity health at the hospital.

The remainder will be used directed to the Hope of Life international non-profit charity for humanitarian aid efforts in Guatemala, to support material costs to help build a house for a family in need, as well as to set up health clinics in rural villages there.

The prior concert-only event on Aug. 4 in Meota called the Golden Oldies raised $6,839 in total for the BUH Foundation.

The combined total of about $15,000 raised for the BUH Foundation will be used for the Ready. Set. Baby capital campaign with a goal to reach over $160,000 to purchase new fetal monitors and birthing beds for BUH’s Labour and Delivery Unit.

Meota Musical Productions organized the musical show for both events, while Sue Pruden-McIvor and Dianne Becotte helped organize, sold tickets and prepared supper for 300 guests that attended the September event. Both events also included silent auctions.

Charles Baillargeon of Meota Productions appreciated everyone’s efforts to benefit the fundraising project.

“We are grateful for those who attended in support of both causes,” he said. “Thank you to the many businesses that supported both events with silent auction items. We are grateful to the performers, musicians and volunteers who have raised a total of $14,806.50 for BUH Foundation. The selfless giving and love of music by performers was appreciated, and our community is drawn together in the spirit of goodwill.”

Baillargeon said the Meota event was sold out while the Battleford dinner-concert show “was extremely close to a sell out.”

He remarked with a Michelle Wright concert taking place in North Battleford the same night as the Battleford dinner-concert, he was impressed with how many attended the BUH fundraiser.

“There was some stiff competition in town, but from the performers’ perspective we had a terrific audience there on Sept. 28,” he said. “It was one of the best concerts we had.”

He also appreciated the positive response from the community.

“The foundation certainly needs support,” he said. “We are going to all use the health system at one point or another in our life, and Meota Musical Productions are happy to assist them.”

Pruden-McIvor and Becotte who co-chaired the September fundraiser are part of the volunteer group that will be taking part in the charity initiative in Guatemala this fall. They also completed additional private fundraising to reach a $10,000 goal for the Guatemala Hope of Life project.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

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