Legion donation will help re-start hearts at County’s hospital

Delivering the donation is Diane Kennedy, first-vice president of the Legion, Penny Rolinski, executive director of the PECMH Foundation, Monica Alyea, chair of the Foundation and Tom McCaw, second-vice president of the Legion. Briar Boyce photo

The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation received $3,000 from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 78 Thursday.

The donation will be directed toward the Foundation’s current $250,000 Picture of Health campaign for medical equipment, for a Heartstart defibrillator for the inpatient unit at PECMH at a cost of $14,265.

A defibrillator delivers a dose of electric current to restart a heart – often an important step in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

“This life saving equipment for our County hospital can only be purchased through community donations as the government does not purchase medical equipment,” said Penny Rolinski, the Foundation’s executive director. “With this contribution, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 78’s cumulative giving total to our hospital since 1999 is $14,450, with the majority of this amount being raised through the poppy fund.”

The 2016 Poppy Fund campaign raised approximately $18,000 from 50 poppy boxes in the community.

“We are especially grateful to the Poppy Fund Committee for helping us replace a defibrillator for our hospital’s inpatient unit,” said Monica Alyea, chair of the Foundation. “It’s vital for our community to continue to ensure our County hospital is equipped with the latest technology to keep it relevant. We hope the community will see this as another sign that we are all committed to building a vibrant future for Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital and give generously.”