COUNTRY communities feel a deep connection with their local hospitals.
And that was on full display at the launch of the Mildura Base Public Hospital foundation last Saturday night, when almost $1.7 million was raised through heartfelt and inspirational generosity.
It was a wonderful coming together of local people, the business community and health professionals for a cause that matters to us all.
When the hospital returned to public management a few years back, what also returned was a sense of ownership and pride for the community.
Saturday night’s function drew a crowd of almost 400, filled with successful business people from throughout the region who were only too willing to open their wallets, and support the hospital.
The auction alone generated almost $100,000, while an anonymous donor put in a further $100k on the night.
Staggering? Yes. Inspirational? Absolutely.
The money raised will be used to improve the delivery of health in the region. Two projects the Foundation has earmarked are Cancer Clinical Trials and the construction of Foundation House to support families who have to travel to the region for treatment.
Guest speaker on the night was AFL football legend Luke Hodge, who reflected on the experimental cancer trial undertaken by his great Hawthorn teammate Jarryd Roughead. Hodge, the tough as nails footballer, became very emotional on stage as he spoke of all the things Roughy may have missed out on. Roughy now has two kids and is kicking goals as an assistant coach and country pub owner. This stuff matters to all of us.
The Foundation will also be using the funds raised to offer scholarships down the track to students wanting to study a health profession at University through its new KC Society. The KC Society has been named after the late Dr Kevin Chambers, the wonderful Mildura surgeon who saved so many lives and made so many others better during his long service to the region. The Foundation is also going to be continuing the work done by the Lucas Foundation by supporting children and their families who need to travel outside the region for treatment.
This will all be on top of grants it will now be able to provide to areas of the hospital for much needed equipment.
The MBPH Foundation carries on the legacy started back on May 27, 1987, by the Mallee Foundation which was chaired by Ross Lanyon.
And the new Foundation committee has attracted some of the region’s most successful and influential people, headed up by chair Ross Lake and including Ross Dallimore and Frank Piscioneri from the MBPH Board, Stefano Di Pieri, Geoff Sparkes, Karen Hensgen and Joanne Forbes.
There are two more have two more big events planned for the Foundation this year with the Charity Golf Day on October 21 at Coomealla Golf Club and the Back to Base Xmas party with Jessica Mauboy and Busby Marou performing in concert at Nowingi Place on December 3. The Foundation is keeping costs low for the event as its aim is to bring the community together and continue building that powerful connection to our public hospital.
Tickets go back on sale on September 2 for this event at $30 an adult and kids under 13 free.
My wife and I have been in Mildura for almost six years, so we are about 20 years away from being considered locals, but last Saturday night’s Foundation launch was a night we felt proud to be part of.
MBPH chief executive Terry Welch, who was MC at the function, summed it up well.
“Saturday’s gala ball showed what a deep connection country communities have to their local hospitals and that was evidenced by the wonderful display of heartfelt generosity shown at the launch of the MBPH Foundation,” he told Sunraysia Daily.
“So many people made the night what it was. Whether it be the volunteers who helped on the evening to our MBPH staff and many others. It was such an amazing team effort to pull it all together and then to raise such an incredible amount of money was simply overwhelming to be honest.
“It reinforces how we have reconnected with the community since transitioning back to public management and it is just another step in the journey we are on to continue to strive for excellence in everything we do at Mildura Base Public Hospital.”
