Thanks to more than 880 community donors over $400,000 (updated as of December 5^th) was raised in the spirit of Giving Tuesday, November 28^th, in support of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation (VHF). Gifts will support VHF’s Imaging is Power campaign, which will see six key pieces of medical imaging equipment updated and replaced at Victoria General (VGH) and Royal Jubilee (RJH) hospitals. The two hospitals are the referral sites for advanced healthcare on Vancouver Island, where more than 500 scheduled scans are performed each day.

“Giving Tuesday has become a global day of giving that recognizes that at the very heart of every community, are the charities that support it. Thank you  to everyone who chose to support our cause, and lift up our care teams through this movement,” says Avery Brohman, Chief Executive Officer of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation. “It truly was powerful and special to witness a great show of generosity leading up to and on Giving Tuesday.”

Imaging is Power aims to raise $11 million to revolutionize three MRIs between RJH and VGH, and replace a CT Scanner at VGH and a SPECT/CT Scanner and C-Arm at RJH. The campaign has reached $5 million of its goal.

Donations supporting the campaign were generously matched up to a total of $50,000 on Giving Tuesday, thanks to local couple Diane and Tim Hackett.

“We want to continue a domino effect of giving. A few friends of ours recently donated to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation and, coupled with our own personal healthcare experience, we knew we had to keep the train of giving moving,” says Diane and Tim Hackett. “We hope our matching gift motivates others and inspires gifts of all sizes. We want to fuel a movement of passionate giving and unite our community with a singular cause—equipping our hospitals and care teams with the tools they need to care for all of us.”

The Hackett’s donation was matched in its entirety by mid-day. Inspired by their generosity, Craig Mearns, a Victoria resident, matched donations to VHF up to an additional $50,000 on Giving Tuesday.

“I’m honoured to call Diane and Tim my friends, and am inspired by their selflessness to match community donations on Giving Tuesday. They have set the stage for positive change and I want to join them with an additional match to further the reach of this initiative,” says Craig Mearns. “Please join us to advance medical imaging and amplify the impact we can make for our Victoria hospitals, ensuring our community’s health and well-being for years to come.”

Splashes Bath & Kitchen also joined the movement in support of VHF through a CHEK News The Upside segment featuring our Giving Tuesday initiative. The $20,000 gift was unlocked by more than 460 people who donated during the two-hour broadcast on November 8, surpassing the goal of encouraging 100 people to give.

Coastal Community Credit Union also united for our hospitals. The $10,000 gift was unlocked thanks to thousands of people who shared VHF’s Giving Tuesday reel across social media, surpassing the goal of 100 shares.

The Foundation is also grateful for anonymous donations that inspired community support. 300 new donors unlocked a $10,000 gift from an anonymous local couple, while 65 gifts of $1000 unlocked a $10,000 gift from another anonymous donor.

Last year on Giving Tuesday, VHF  raised over $215,000 to support the purchase of a new $500,000 patient monitoring system for the Intensive Care Unit at VGH.  The Foundation is thankful to supporters, both new and loyal, for continuing the momentum of Giving Tuesday into 2023 and empowering our care teams in Victoria’s hospitals, which ultimately betters the health of our communities.

To learn more about Giving Tuesday, Imaging is Power, and VHF, please call 250-519-1750 or visit victoriahf.ca