The Campbell River Hospital Foundation’s Scrap Metal Challenge will once again be in full swing during the heat of summer, but as in years past, they have gotten a jumpstart on the initiative by receiving yet another kickstart gift from Scott Kilby and his team at Campbell River Hyundai.
The annual event is one of the foundation’s major fundraisers each year and sees a huge amount of community support from the public as well as many local businesses, according to event and communications director for the Hospital Foundation, Carly Pisterzi.
It also helps divert a whole lot of metal from ending up in the landfill. In fact, the initiative won the 2014 Campbell River Stewardship Award for Waste Reduction.
The scrap car donated by Kilby and his crew will hopefully be just the first of many donations by Hyundai this year, because throughout May they will also be running a “Push, Pull and Drag” event encouraging people to trade in their beaters to support the Hospital Foundation.
And the car was delivered by the folks at Coastline/Pete’s Towing, who Pisterzi says generously donated their time and energies to getting the vehicle up to challenge partner ABC Recycling last week, which is “the kind of teamwork that really demonstrates what a giving community we live in,” Pisterzi says.
All proceeds raised from this year’s challenge will go towards a Hematology Slide Review System for the laboratory in the Campbell River Hospital. This efficient system performs automated digital microscopy morphology analysis and will aid to increase the consistency and quality of results.
Last year nearly $17,000 was raised from the challenge, bringing the total raised to $87,000 over the initiative’s seven years.
“We have a lot of great business partners who get involved every year, but it’s also a great opportunity for the public to participate,” Pisterzi says. “I think people are aware that it’s coming every year and maybe kind of hoard their stuff so they can get rid of it in our bin up there (at the City of Campbell River Dogwood Operations Centre). It’s a great way for people to do some cleaning up and help out a great cause while they’re at it.”
The bin at the Dogwood Operations Centre (beside the police station) will be in place as of May 31 to correspond with the official opening of the challenge.
For more information and on how to participate please visit the foundation’s website at crhospitalfoundation.ca or contact Pisterzi at Carly.Pisterzi@VIHA.ca