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Brenda Gallagher, Director of Operations at the Sandra Schmirler Foundation, holds up the $20,000 cheque for the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation (Photo supplied by the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation / Sandra Schmirler Foundation)
By Shaun Penner
Purchase NICU Equipment

Hospital Foundation recipient of $20,000 grant from Sandra Schmirler Foundation

Jan 15, 2021 | 12:09 PM

The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation has been named the recipient of $20,000 in grants from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.

The foundation, created in honour of three-time world championship and Canadian Olympic gold medal curler Sandra Schmirler, aims to raise funds for hospital Newborn Intensive Care Units (NICU) to purchase life-saving equipment for premature and critically ill newborns, among its many other missions.

The foundation has committed to providing grants to communities that host Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling Events, something Grande Prairie was supposed to play host to this past fall but was postponed due to COVID-19.

With that, the Schmirler Foundation will provide a $10,000 grant for the event that was scheduled for this past November, as well as $10,000 for the make-up of the Tour Challenge, which will now go from September 21-26, 2021 at the Coca-Cola Centre.

“We want all babies born too soon, too small or too sick to have the chance to grow up and be champions,” says Ian Cunningham, Chair of the Sandra Schmirler Foundation board. “By continuing to recognize and celebrate Sandra Schmirler’s love of family, we are grateful that we can make a difference in NICUs right across Canada like the Grande Prairie Regional Hospital.”

Major Gifts Officer with the GPRHF Dawn Miller says receiving these funds is “incredible!”

“It will give us the opportunity to work directly with the NICU staff to identify and purchase equipment and supplies they need to enhance care for our tiniest of patients.”

by Shaun Penner