Exceeding all expectations and nearly doubling its fundraising goal, RedFM’s radiothon for Surrey Memorial Hospital last week raised a staggering $950,000 — and counting — toward the hospital’s emergency room upgrade.
“We are absolutely thrilled and excited to have raised $950,000,” said Kulwinder Sanghera, owner and president of RedFM.
“This radiothon is a positive example and it is proven time and time again that the South Asian community is a giving community and is more than willing to contribute to help others,” added Sanghera, who also sits on the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation board.
The money was raised during a 16-hour radiothon last Thursday staffed by community volunteers and RedFM employees. Donations continued to trickle in after the final count, with the final figure expected to exceed $1 million.
The team raised a whopping $59,375 each hour, with money pouring in from businesses and individuals throughout Metro Vancouver.
RedFM pledged last year to raise a total of $2-million for Surrey Memorial. Last year’s radiothon brought in $700,000. This year, expectations were not as high.
A lot of hope was pinned onto the radiothon, but “keeping realistic given the economy, we are hoping to reach $500,000 this year,” said Sanghera, in the early hours of the radiothon.
The money raised through the campaign will be used towards the new emergency centre, where the main entry will be named The Guru Nanak Emergency Services Front Entrance in recognition of the support from Surrey’s Indo-Canadian residents.
The current ER is the busiest in the entire province. Originally built to support 44,000 patients a year, it sees 71,000 patients instead.