A Competitive Edge to Supporting Canmore’s Hospital
Of the fifteen years Vicki Young has lived in Canmore, she’s participated in the CAHCF Golf Tournament Fundraiser at Silvertip for the majority of them.
“It's the only hospital we have, so I think it's critical in Canmore to have a really strong organization financially, operationally, medically and it takes the proverbial village to make that happen,” says Young, who has owned Riverstone Insurance in Canmore for about a decade.
The golf tournament, which raises an average of $80,000-$100,000 annually (gross), draws in a “diverse cross-section” of people from the Bow Valley community. “It's not limited to just your industry that you might work in or maybe even just your close social group,” says Vicki, who looks forward to this opportunity to connect with people she doesn’t normally get to see throughout the year.
Living an active lifestyle in the mountains, visits to the hospital with “various physical injuries” are inevitable, she says.
She has had friends receive cancer treatment at the hospital, a service made possible with CAHCF support. Her family visiting from out of town have also benefited from hospital services in Canmore, avoiding the trip to Calgary. Her sister-in-law received treatment after falling at a ski hill. One year, her entire family was visiting for Christmas when her mother, who has an irregular heartbeat, had an episode and had to be admitted to the hospital for a few days.
For Vicki “the convenience of having the hospital being five minutes away and being able to spend so much time with my mom” was invaluable.
Participating in the annual golf tournament in support of the foundation is a fun way to contribute to the hospital resources that everyone in the community benefits from.
“It's important that businesses and individuals all step up to support our local hospital,” says Vicki. “Hopefully we won't have to use it too much personally, but if and when we do, you certainly want to know that you can provide the best care possible.”
Most years, Vicki helps bring a team of women together to golf in the tournament and bid on items in the silent auction, where proceeds go to the foundation. “We're actually reasonably competitive golfers,” she says. “So we can hold our own in terms of the results of our team.”
Typical for a mountain town, the sun doesn’t always come out for the tournament. Still, even in the rainy years when “we spend more time in the clubhouse than you do on the golf course,” Vicki says it’s still an “equally fun” day.
For CAHCF Executive Director, Soulafa Al-Abbasi, “the value that a long-term, committed donor like Vicki brings to the foundation is immense.”
Proceeds from the golf tournaments in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 have gone to the ‘Feels Like Home’ campaign to improve the long-term care facilities located at the hospital. This year’s fundraiser will help purchase much-needed medical equipment as well as fund health-and-wellness programs in the Bow Valley, along with supporting other areas of greatest need.
“Vicki is part of our community-of-supporters in the valley, and we very much appreciate her contributions,” says Soulafa.
For Vicki, what’s important is showing support within your means, whether “you're donating $10 or $10,000,” she says. “It's still a great contribution to the hospital and the hospital foundation.”
Canmore business owner Vicki Young enjoys the CAHCF Golf Tournament Fundraiser as a way to connect with community, have some friendly competition and raise money for better health care services in the Bow Valley.