The Masquerade Ball for the Cariboo Memorial Hospital held Saturday night at the Sacred Heart Hall was an overwhelming success, says Rick Nelson, co-chair of the Cariboo Foundation Hospital Trust.
While total figures won’t be known until all the costs have been accounted for, he says they can comfortably report that the event raised $60,000 this year.
“A major thanks to all members of the community who so generously supported our fundraiser,” Nelson says. “We had so many donations for the auction that we had to set up extra tables.”
There were 131 items donated for the silent auction and eight large items donated for the live auction.
Once again, he says Woodland Jeweller’s sold all 600 tickets on their annual hospital ring raffle to raise $12,000 of the $60,000 total, Nelson says.
Jeremy Schmid won the $6,500 ring, the draw for which was made during the gala.
Nelson says people also bid well on the auction items with the signed picture of Bobby Ore by Stephen Holland fetching $5,500; the signed Carey Price jersey raising $325; the air fare and week in New Zealand bringing in $5,500; a photograph of a bear by Dave Jacobson capturing $1,000; and a three night stay at a condo in Whistler capturing another $1,100.
All 230, $100-a-plate tickets to the hospital gala were sold out well in advance, with a waiting list.
“A great big thank-you to the community,” Nelson says. “We were overwhelmed with the response for the gala. Now we have enough money to purchase the new, state-of-the-art portable ultrasound machine for the emergency room.”
Nelson says the new ultra-sound machine will cost approximately $125,000.
He adds the new digital mammography machine which last year’s hospital gala helped to complete several years of fundraising for is expected to be in place at the hospital “very early” in the new year.