The On Air for Healthcare Radiothon brought in more than $166,000. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Giving community

On Air for Healthcare Radiothon raises more than $166,000

May 13, 2022 | 7:40 PM

After 12 hours of fundraising, the staff at the Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation (BUH) is going into the weekend very happy.

The On Air for Health Care Radiothon wrapped at 6:00 p.m. this evening, raising money for life-saving equipment in the emergency room. Sponsored by Fisher’s Drug Store, the annual event raised $166,168 on Friday, with donations from a few dollars to thousands.

Executive Director Leanne Ducommun said she was overwhelmed by the total.

“The Community, the businesses, the organizations, they all stepped up,” she said. “It’s just unbelievable.”

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93.3 The Rock host Tyler Janzen echoed that sentiment, highlighting the variety in donations.

“We got something from everyone from every corner of the province that was listening to us, it’s huge,” he said.

This was the first time since 2019 that the event was hosted at the hospital, due to COVID-19 concerns during the pandemic, with several guests stopping by throughout the radiothon. Programming Director and Q98 host Nic Fransoo said he enjoyed speaking to “Mr. ER,” Dr. Erik Engelbrecht, who spoke of the importance of critical care and of his feelings on working in the Battlefords.

“He said he was going to spend a few years here, but because of the team, our hospital and the community, he’s been here 12 years, and he doesn’t plan to go anywhere else,” Fransoo said.

The on-air team handled the airwaves from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW)

Some of the purchases the BUH is making include a trauma stretcher and a Chest Compression System, which are dealing with cases requiring immediate intervention and care.

CJNB host Grant Schutte said the thing that makes the radiothon special is what makes the province special, that everyone looks after each other here.

“That we’re able to buy that equipment for the emergency room, it really is an emotional time,” he said.

BUH is still tracking late donations and money from other sources, such as mic cards, and will release the final total at a later date.

(Josh Ryan/battlefordsNOW)

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