November 18, 2024
Paul Conrad experienced a Code Blue – cardiac arrest, but he wasn’t even the only one to appear on the 2024 Radiothon of Hope and Healing, presented by Vickar Automotive Group, who could make such a rare claim.
Hemant M. Shah, another cardiac arrest survivor, also sat down to tell his story live on 680 CJOB (along with sister stations Country 99 and Power 97), last Friday from the Hospital’s on-site Galerie Buhler Gallery as donations flooded in all day long.
After his life-saving cardiac surgery in 2021, Shah started calling St. B his “rebirth” place. “My humble request to all Manitobans, you saved my life with your donation,” he said in his morning interview with Brett Megarry, host of The Start. “We can save many more lives. Give just $50; just $25 this morning to our own health-care facility.”
And listeners did. St. Boniface Hospital Foundation was overwhelmed and humbled by the support of our donors, the community, and our sponsors. Radiothon gifts raised through phone calls and online donations reached $260,000 by day’s end, exceeding by far the Foundation’s original $200,000 one-day goal.
The lineup of special guests for this Radiothon was as impressive, if not more so, as any in previous years: grateful St. B patients, physicians and surgeons, generous donors, world class researchers, local business leaders, and even the art gallery curator all chatted with the radio hosts about their connections to patient care and medical research at St. Boniface Hospital and to the Foundation.
Paying it back, paying it forward
One of many local matching sponsors, Bockstael Construction matched all gifts up to $5,000 over the 9 a.m. hour of Radiothon. Chairman John Bockstael appeared as a guest on the broadcast, speaking live from the Galerie Buhler Gallery.
“This is my neighbourhood, I’m a St. Boniface boy…The Hospital has always been a big part of my family’s lives; a lot of personal history to it,” he told Megarry.
“As a young father, our first child born here spent a brief period in St. B’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU),” he explained, his voice cracking with emotion. “And then, just a few years ago, my granddaughter needed time in the NICU. St. Boniface Hospital was here for them. So, think about that,” he urged listeners.
“Think about what that does for you and your community. The kid across the street, your neighbours, your mother, your father, your friends and relatives. Facilities like this are the keys to the health and vibrancy of the community.”
Bockstael ended his interview by pledging a personal gift of $5,000 more to the hour. “This is all about paying it back and paying it forward. So, thank you to St. Boniface Hospital.”
Sponsors made the difference
Meanwhile, part of the Hospital’s Everett Atrium leading to the Gallery was transformed into “Hope and Healing Avenue”. St. B staff and visitors came and went along the Avenue throughout the day, learning about products and promotions from exhibitors like Vickar Automotive Group, All Seniors Care, and Empty Cup. Staff members were also treated to coffee and treats, special giveaways including symphony and theatre tickets, and a record 50/50 cash prize draw.
A dozen of our local Brighten Their Day sponsors did just that at Radiothon this year by donating more than $6,000 dollars in gift cards, for everything from cold brew coffee and restaurant meals to museum and art gallery passes. Starting early in the morning and continuing until late in the afternoon, volunteers recognized individual St. Boniface Hospital staff by handing out stacks of these gift cards with our sincere thanks.
Listeners answered the call
Speaking to 680 CJOB hosts Richard Cloutier and Julie Buckingham at the end of the day, Radiothon Chair Larry Vickar told listeners, “I know Manitobans, I know their generosity, and I know the patient care and medical research at St. Boniface Hospital. The fact is, Manitobans respond to causes that deservedly need their support, and they came through for St. Boniface Hospital big time today.”
Vickar continued, “One of the many advantages of having this day of education on the radio is, listeners can learn about the great work being done at the St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, for example. It’s truly amazing.”
Members of the Vickar family – Larry, Tova, Sam, Odessa, Steven, and – made a generous group donation in the final hour of Radiothon to help push the event’s one-day fundraising total over the top.
St. Boniface Hospital Foundation President and CEO Karen Fowler added to Vickar’s comments, “If it weren’t for our generous donors today and every day, we wouldn’t have the Research Centre here. St. B was ranked the number 1 research hospital of its size in Western Canada for the 12th consecutive year, and that was made possible thanks to our donors,” she said.
“If it weren’t for our donors, there would be so many more needs at St. B for programs and medical equipment.”
Fowler mentioned that funds raised through the Radiothon will help fund state-of-the-art ultrasound imaging devices that are needed for the Hospital’s Cardiac Sciences Program. She said the day’s fundraising will also benefit the new therapeutic garden currently under construction at the Hospital’s McEwen Building, where mental health services are offered.
Once more, patients and researchers at St. Boniface Hospital will benefit from our donors’ generosity.
See our Radiothon page for a list of sponsors and more from this year’s exciting event, and our Facebook to see this year’s photos. A special thank-you to Vickar Automotive Group and Manitoba Métis Federation volunteers for answering the phones all day to make Radiothon such a success.