Women had the option of a henna tattoo at Saturday’s Punjabi Cultural Event. MIKE YOUDS PHOTO
A cultural event hosted by the Guru Nanak Sikh Society in Port Alberni last weekend raised $13,000 for the West Coast General Hospital (WCGH) Foundation.
This is the second year that the society has hosted a Punjabi Cultural Event at Echo Centre. Last year’s event raised $5,000 for the Bread of Life. This year’s event raised more than twice that amount for the WCGH Foundation.
READ MORE: Port Alberni celebrates Punjabi culture
The Guru Nanak Society Sikh Society hosted and catered to 200 guests throughout Saturday evening (Sept. 21), which included Punjabi music and food. Volunteers tied turbans for the men, while women had the option of a henna tattoo. Even Port Alberni Mayor Sharie Minions received a Punjabi-style makeover.
$11,000 was raised at the event, but society director Paramjeet Singh announced on Thursday, Sept. 26 that additional funds raised at the Eighth Avenue temple meant that the total amount could be rounded up to $13,000.
WCGH Foundation president Carol Chipman explained that most of the funds are going towards Westhaven for new medical carts.
“The med carts we had were hand-me-downs from other areas,” she said. “The hospital maintenance team did a good job of repairing them when they broke down, but they finally reached the end of their life.”
Westhaven Multi Level Care is a long-term senior care facility located on the WCGH grounds. The WCGH Foundation took responsibility for fundraising for Westhaven earlier this year, after the Friends of Westhaven Society announced that it was dissolving.
READ MORE: West Coast General Hospital Foundation steps up for Westhaven
The Guru Nanak Sikh Society originally planned to make a donation for the WCGH Auxiliary, but the Auxiliary recommended passing the money onto the Foundation, instead.
“We want to give a big thanks to the Auxiliary for passing this donation on to the Foundation,” said Chris Francey, WCGH Foundation director.
For more information about the Hospital Foundation, or to make a donation, contact wcghfoundation@viha.ca or call 250-731-1370, ext. 48148.
elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
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