FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Halifax, N.S. (June 5, 2022) –The generosity of Maritimers was on full display this weekend during the IWK Telethon for Children on CTV, pledging a record-breaking $6,733,024.50 in support of the IWK – the most funds raised in the Telethon’s 38-year history.
“What Maritimers have shown us once again is that they want to be part of team IWK. They give generously because they believe in our regions’ women, children and families, ensuring they have access to nothing less than the very best care at the IWK,” said Jennifer Gillivan, President & CEO of the IWK Foundation. “We are so grateful to every donor and volunteer who has made this year’s event so successful. Thank you for being on our side this weekend and throughout the year.”
The fundraiser wrapped up its broadcast from the CTV Atlantic studio in Halifax on Sunday evening. For the first time in its history, the IWK Telethon was dedicated to the staff and team at IWK Health.
“The past two years have demonstrated the IWK team’s unwavering commitment to the care of our Maritime patients and families,” says Gillivan. “We were so grateful and extremely proud to recognize them during our annual Telethon.”
The IWK Telethon is the IWK’s largest annual fundraiser and supports the ongoing urgent priorities at the IWK, including equipment, education, research and innovation. This year, donors to the Telethon helped purchase many essential pieces of equipment, including transport chairs for the Emergency Department. A Transport Chair is a wheelchair that is much sturdier and more rugged than a traditional wheelchair. It is also easy to steer and maneuver and is more comfortable for patients than a standard wheelchair as it has a padded seat and backrest. These chairs offer foot and leg rests and include an integrated IV pole and oxygen tank holder for patients who may require them.
Many IWK patients and families also shared their inspiring stories, including the Canam family from Woodstock, New Brunswick, whose two-year-old daughter Charlie was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic condition shortly after she was born and underwent open-heart surgery at the IWK when she was just three months old. Today, Charlie is defying expectations with her development, thanks to the support she receives from the IWK. And Matthew LeBlanc from Port Hastings, Nova Scotia, who, at just three days old, began dialysis to keep him alive. Matthew spent three months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and three more months at the IWK’s nephrology inpatient unit for kidney care, eventually going on to receive not one but two kidney transplants by the time he was ten years old.
“Our CTV team is immensely proud to be the broadcast partner for this important event,” says Trent McGrath, General Manager, CTV Atlantic. “We could not be happier that the Foundation and CTV are dedicating this year’s Telethon to the IWK staff and health care professionals. The IWK is a fixture in our community, and the care and passion each member of its team showcases is truly something to be celebrated.”
“We are humbled by the heart and generosity of everyone who supported the 38th IWK Telethon and grateful to our broadcast partners at CTV for bringing this heartwarming event to life,” says Gillivan. “Tomorrow, our work to raise funds for the IWK will continue, and we’re humbled to know our generous community will always be right there with us.”
Donations to the IWK Foundation can be made by calling 1-800-595-2266 or visiting www.iwkfoundation.org.
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About the IWK Foundation
The IWK Foundation is a champion of excellence in women's and children's health and medicine and works in partnership with IWK Health to support their vision of providing quality care to women, children, youth and families in the Maritime Provinces and beyond. Our donors are passionately committed to making a difference for Maritime families, contributing more than $13 million in support of the most urgent care priorities at the IWK last year. Funds raised also support the IWK's global leadership in research and knowledge sharing, which in turn improves lives worldwide. Visit www.iwkfoundation.org for more information.
About CTV News
CTV News is Canada’s most-watched news organization both locally and nationally, and has a network of national, international, and local news operations. CTV News operations include CTV NEWS CHANNEL, BNN Bloomberg, CP24, and information programming, including CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH LISA LAFLAMME, CTV NATIONAL NEWS WITH SANDIE RINALDO, W5, POWER PLAY, and QUESTION PERIOD. Flagship news sites include CTVNews.ca, as well as CP24.com and BNNBloomberg.ca, and are complemented by the CTV News, CP24, and BNN Bloomberg apps, and text-over-video product, ON THE GO, which provide a direct connection to Canada’s most trusted news anytime and anywhere. With a perspective that is distinctly Canadian, CTV News brings Canadians the international and domestic news stories of the day and is the #1 news organization in Canada.
For more information, please contact:
Kelly Duggan
Integrated Brand Manager
IWK Foundation
c: 902-220-8029
kelly.duggan@iwk.nshealth.ca