C R E A T E A L E G A C Y
S p e c i a l F e a t u r e
hospital. "Hospital foundations have a
great position as the broker between
the hospital and people who are looking
to invest in the health and wellness of
the community," says Cheryl Carline,
president and
CEO of the foundation.
"We're on the hunt for new ways of
promoting health and wellness because
we know the system in its current state is
under pressure so we need lots of partners
in addressing issues of health care."
The hospital foundation works
very closely with the hospital's
administration to identify needs and to
choose community programs that could
prevent hospital visits. Last year, the
Community Health and Wellness Fund
supported two projects, and this year it
supports 10. Those include programs that
support initiatives in the areas of food
security, homelessness, long-term care
and research on preventing falls among
seniors. "As we see the demands for
health care outstrip the capacity of any
one source of funding, foundations are
playing a critical role in the health care
continuum," says Carline.
Legacy of Hope
The Mel Jr. and Marty Zajac Foundation
was formed in the memory of two brothers
who died within eight months of each other
in separate sporting accidents. In 2003,
their family started the foundation, which
supports the Zajac Ranch for Children, a
summer camp for children with a wide
variety of medical conditions and illnesses.
"Children that can't it into traditional
camps are able to come here and get the
camp experience that all kids deserve," says
Carmen Zajac, president of the foundation.
"We want this camp to be around for many
years, because unfortunately there's always
going to be sick kids. Some of the children
who go there have never been away
from their homes for one night. So it's
very empowering and it changes
childrens' lives."
No matter how big or small, the
gifts that we give can continue to make
signiicant differences in people's lives
for many years to come. Making these
deliberate decisions can be a meaningful
and rewarding process for all of us.
