Prince George medical professionals received a financial boost this weekend to further their training for better emergency response.
On Sunday (Oct. 25), the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation was awarded $25,000 from the Prince George Community Foundation (PGCF) to purchase basic life support and CPR training equipment.
"The ability to combine our educational and clinical needs for equipment and training that will truly have an impact on how emergency response and treatment is taught and mentored throughout the region is exciting," said CEO Judy Neiser.
"The impact this grant will have for healthcare professionals and medical students in northern B.C. will be immense."
The one-time grant comes on a significant year for the PGCF as Sunday marked 25 years since its 1995 inception of helping charities and non-profits with the funds they need for better community outreach.
Since then, the PGCF has provided more than $2.7 million for ‘projects championed by local registered charities who work to build a livable, resilient community.’
It intends on sharing the impacts it’s made on Prince George for the remainder of its silver anniversary, hoping local residents can help shape the future of the organization.
“Celebrations to recognize this important milestone will occur throughout the year as we look back at the history of the Foundation and the people who have made it what it is today,” says PGCF President Alain LeFebvre.
“Although our events will look different than originally envisioned due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still a lot to celebrate as a community.”
John Backhouse, a former mayor of Prince George, worked with a group of volunteers in kicking off the idea of the PGCF.
The purpose of the Foundation is to raise funds and sustainably manage an endowment that provides opportunity for charities to apply for, and be awarded, grants two times a year.
The new CPR equipment for Spirit of the North are life-sized, anatomically correct human patients in order to provide training as realistic as possible, and they’re set to be distributed across the north for up-and-coming healthcare professionals.
