The 2021 graduating class of J.L. Crowe Secondary School has donated proceeds from their Bridge-a-Thon fundraiser to the regional hospital.
In particular, the students chose to direct the money – $745 – into mental health support at the Daly Pavilion.
Why did they choose this cause?
“We decided we wanted to donate our proceeds towards mental health this year because COVID-19 has caused a lot of uncertainty and added stress on everyone,” students Marci Brooks and Megan Caron replied on behalf of the class.
“We hope that our donation will help the people most likely to be affected by the pandemic.”
Students collected pledges and ran laps around the Trail bridges to raise these funds.
Daly Pavilion history
The Daly Pavilion provides care to adults who are receiving treatment for mental health issues at Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital.
The Daly Pavilion circa the 1970s. Photo: Trail Historical Society
This wing of the hospital opened in 1970 and was originally called the Columbia Unit. The name was changed in 1977 to honour the late Dr. James Stuart Daly who played a significant role in the development of mental health services in Trail.
James Stuart Daly was born in Lyn, Ontario, in 1904. He came to Trail in 1928. In a story from the Trail Times dated Jan. 31, 1970 he recalled the “old timer days” when women bore children in the home and the doctor boiled his own water.
Dr. Daly recalled receiving $1.14 “per month per man” when he began practicing, and said, “we did a lot of work for nothing.”
He noted that people’s attitude towards the hospital had changed greatly over the years.
“Use to be that people would never consent to go into hospital until they were about to die,” he is quoted saying. “I remember when I was so pleased to get a patient in hospital, I’d drive him there myself.”
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