The Health Services Foundation of the South Shore are reeling in the success of their first fully virtual fundraiser.
The foundation’s 7th annual Women’s Giving Circle recently passed, but due to COVID-19 safety restrictions, this was the first year it was not held in person.
Alison Clements, development officer with the Foundation said despite the change, it didn’t stop the fundraiser from making a splash for a good cause.
“It went really really well. It was very interesting because we are so used to those in person events and having those person to person conversations with supporters,” she said.
“Of course with COVID-19, that wasn’t possible, and its really changed the social aspect of it.”
The fundraiser’s main event was held via a Zoom call, which participants bought tickets to, and featured a number of presentations as well as an online auction.
The event raised over $10,000, which this year will go towards privacy screens for the South Shore Regional Hospital’s planned chair care ER section.
The new section will take the place of the current ER waiting room, and allow more people to be seen quicker in a private setting, thus helping with overcrowding.
“They’re going to use these privacy screens so doctors and nurses can have these private conversations with patients,” said Clements, “It will also allow them, if they need a shot or any other procedure, that can be done privately.”
Meanwhile a new, temporary waiting room will be set up in the current location of the hospital’s gift shoppe. The new arraignment will be used until work begins on the ER Redevelopment Project, which is expected to begin in the next few years.
With files from Cody McEachern.
