Three hundred people took part in the 15th anniversary Fund Run for the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation Sunday morning.
A children’s run, a 5 kilometre and a 10 kilometre run all took off from Fairview elementary school at 9 a.m. with runners touring the neighbourhood before finishing at the school.
“Three hundred people are registered which are great numbers and they are definitely up from last year,” said Michelle Boileau with the foundation.
Last year numbers were down. Only 275 participants took part in the run that raised $41,000. A donor stepped up at the last minute giving the foundation $6,000 to make up for the shortfall.
“We have higher sponsorship dollars this year, higher amount of volunteers that are coming out to help us on the route this year and prize donors, local businesses donating great prizes for us to give to our participants and to our volunteers. So we’re happy. Fingers are crossed,” said Boileau, hoping to beat last years total.
Money raised from the run will go towards the foundation’s annual list of essential hospital equipment.
This year the list totals more than $600,000 for 27 items plus money for other funding support.
It includes a critical care bed worth $40,764 for the intensive care unit which will allow ICU nurses to turn a patient, sit them up and weigh them. It will also have an airflow feature that will help patients with bed sores.
Three resectoscopes for the urology operating room are on the list worth worth $21,000 to allow surgeons to operate and remove tissue without compromising the structural integrity of the urethra. This will mean less trauma to the patient and less treatment required after the operation.
And a pressure relief mattress for Baillie House is also on the list worth $11,000 to prevent wounds and promote healing for existing wounds by providing a therapeutic surface, reducing pain and suffering of residents.
• Race results and fundraising totals to follow
