Following last year’s junk yard success, the Hospital Foundation is resurrecting its Scrap Metal Challenge fundraiser for another year.
The contest among businesses to see who can collect the most scrap metal for a chance at the coveted, welded kitchen sink trophy runs for the month of June.
Stacey Marsh, executive director of the Campbell River Hospital Foundation, was overwhelmed by how well the contest was received last year.
“Just over $18,000 was raised in that one-month period and through the community bin on Dogwood (at the city’s operations centre) it was about, I think $1,000 that was dumped approximately three times,” Marsh said at last week’s council meeting.
“The community just embraced the idea of saving their scrap metal and bringing it in for the hospital.”
The money raised last year during the Scrap Metal Challenge went towards the purchase of an electrosurgical unit for the endoscopy department at the Campbell River hospital.
This year, funds will go to help buy a laser for the ophthalmology department.
“That piece of equipment is just over $130,000 so we would really appreciate any support,” said Alana Caldwell, events manager for the hospital foundation.
Marsh said deciding which pieces of equipment the foundation will fundraise for is a collaborative process.
“The larger pieces, like the electrosurgical unit or the laser, we receive a capital improvements list from VIHA (Vancouver Island Health Authority) and on it might be a dozen or so pieces of equipment that have been approved for purchase for that fiscal and we take it and in conjunction and partnership with the (hospital) directors and department heads at our hospital they decide the priority of what fits best for Campbell River Hospital,” Marsh said.
City council and businesses who competed in the Scrap Metal Challenge are already on board for the contest this year.
Council agreed Tuesday night to put an ABC Recycling bin once again at the Dogwood Operations Centre.
Dave Morris, the city’s general manager of facilities and supplies, said the city would be glad to put a bin back in the same spot as last year.
“The location was excellent for the city and was a huge success and we’d be happy to do it again,” he said.
Finning was the winner of last year’s Scrap Metal Challenge and the company got to keep the coveted trophy for one year and will forever have its name etched on the award.
