Mike presents the plaque to Natalie and members of the Foundation Board.

Richmond Hospital Foundation: 25 years of generosity and commitment

Mike presents a commemorative plaque to Natalie and members of the Foundation Board

Congratulations to the Richmond Hospital Foundation for 25 years of remarkable contributions to the Richmond community.

We are honoured and delighted to be celebrating this important milestone with  you.

To help us put it in perspective, let’s take a little trip down memory lane . . ..

Hard to believe it’s been 25 years since these things happened. It seems like it was just yesterday but here’s an idea of just what was going on in the world in 1987 when the Foundation was created:

  • Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup;
  • Michail Gorbachev was selected as Time’s Man of the Year; and
  • a top news story was the dramatic rescue of baby Jessica after she had been trapped in an 8-inch well for 58 hours.It is also incredible to realize that during those same 25 years, the Richmond Hospital Foundation, it’s board and generous donors have raised $40 million dollars for enhanced patient care, capital projects, and equipment. Highlights include:
  • one of the first open concept MRIs in the province that allows larger people and those uncomfortable in enclosed spaces to be comfortable when getting an MRI,
  • helped expand our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit which allows new parents to be closer to their little ones,
  • helped expand our Emergency Department by providing state of the art equipment, such as the Vocera system and pneumatic tube system, and
  • helped open minimally invasive surgical suites in our OR.

If the Foundation were a person, at 25 years of age, you would just be hitting your stride, coming into the prime of your life, at the peak of your strength. It is an exciting time for you, and an exciting time for us.

On behalf of the Senior Executive Team of VCH, the Senior Leadership Team in Richmond, the hundreds of staff the thousands of patients, clients and residents we serve, I would like to thank the staff, board, and many generous volunteers and donors for the difference you have made and continue to make.

Thank you for your generosity of time, effort and spirit. Thank you for being so committed to giving back to your community. Thank you for working so hard to help us provide even better care to those we serve.

As Winston Churchill said “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Based on what you are giving to the residents of Richmond, you must all have incredible lives.

Thank you, and we look forward with eagerness, anticipation and gratitude to our next 25 years together.

Staff of the Richmond Hospital Foundation