Local Canadian Tire Stores Help Royal Jubilee Hospital Care Teams Fix Hearts
Victoria, B.C. — Canadian Tire has launched its 17th annual Fix-A-Heart campaign to support and equip the Heart Health team at Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH). From November 24 until December 24, customers at the Hillside, View Royal, Royal Oak, North Saanich and Langford stores, as well as the Gordon Head automotive centre, can donate any amount at the till towards urgently needed cardiac equipment.
The initiative was started 16 years ago by former Langford Canadian Tire store owner Peter Spillette, a champion of cardiac care on Vancouver Island. When Peter passed away in 2008, Canadian Tire owners and staff honoured his vision with a $1 million commitment for leading-edge cardiac equipment at Royal Jubilee Hospital. Since then, all donations made at the till during the annual campaign have been matched by the stores. This year, the stores will match customer donations up to $20,000.
“We love to partner with the Victoria Hospitals Foundation every year to support Cardiac Care at Royal Jubilee Hospital,” said Kim Reynhoudt, Associate Dealer for Canadian Tire View Royal. “For the last 16 years now, our generous customers have helped purchase important pieces of cardiac care equipment for our community, including vital signs monitors last year. With this year’s Fix-A-Heart campaign, and with two new stores joining our campaign, we strive to take another big step towards our ultimate goal of raising one million dollars for Cardiac Care on Vancouver Island.”
This year, donations from Canadian Tire’s Fix-A-Heart campaign are going toward the funding of large volume infusion pumps for RJH’s Cardiovascular Unit, Coronary Care Unit, and Electrophysiology Lab. Royal Jubilee is the Cardiac Centre of Excellence for Vancouver Island and cares for patients that come from communities within Island Health.
Infusion pumps are able to provide patients with nutrients and medications safely and accurately at the right rate. They have specialized drug libraries, which enable the fluids to be tailored to the exact height and weight of each patient, to help patients who have had open heart or major vascular surgery, as well as those who have had cardiac arrest or a heart attack. This precise treatment is extremely beneficial for patients and caregivers alike.
“How grateful we are to have businesses like our local Canadian Tire stores join us every year in championing a culture of philanthropy that transforms healthcare on the Island,” says Avery Brohman, a/ Executive Director of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation. “Our local Canadian Tire staff and customers are helping out world-class Heart Health care teams provide exceptional care through inspired giving. We thank all of you for making a difference in our community.”
Since 2003, the Fix-A-Heart campaign has raised more than $840,000 for cardiac care on Vancouver Island. Their ultimate goal is to reach $1 million.
This year, a special lightshow at the Hillside Canadian Tire hopes to garner special attention in benefit of Fix-A-Heart.
Royal Jubilee is the Heart Health referral centre for all 794,000 residents of Vancouver Island. The Heart Health program administers to cardiac needs such as open-heart surgeries, angiograms, angioplasties, cardiac device insertions and electrophysiology procedures. Every year, over 200,000 Vancouver Island residents undergo cardiac assessment and more than 6,300 cardiac procedures. In 2018, this dynamic program celebrated its 25,000th open-heart surgery — a monumental milestone.
To learn more about cardiac care needs and the Heart Health program, visit www.victoriahf.ca/cardiac-care.
