A RESTAURANT may seem ani unlikely location for the birth of an idea which has so far generaled $1 million in medical equipment. - But that’s what happened when a group of people began lalking after dinner at the Bavarian Inn in 1988. If they couldn't convince the government io buy what vas necded at Mills Memorial Hospital, they'd raise the noncy themselves, “And so was born the Dr. R.E.M Lee Hospital Founda- jon, the vehicle into which countless volunteers and froups have poured money to boost the facilities at Mills VWemorial Hospilal. : a Named after a well known physician and surgeon to the irea, the foundation attracted some of the arca’s leading sitizens. Their first project was massive — raising more than $600,000 to purchase a CT scan unit for Mills, giving jorthwesterners the same kind of diagnostic medical ser- fices common to those who live in the south. They were spurred on by successive provincial health ministers who said the population didn’t warrant having a TT unit based in the northwest. “They said we wouldn’t live long enough to get ane,” remembers founding foundation member Alex Houlden of “ane conversation. Eventually, the foundation’s goal took the form of a challenge -— if it could raise the money, the provincial zovernnient agreed to provide the annual operaling grant. “When you just think of the plane fare south for ane per- son, having this kind of service here saves money,’’ says Bill McRae who, with wife Helen, became an integral part of the drive. They began to hear from community groups they didn’t know existed as the moncy-raising effort look hold. “There were dances, collections and money still comes in,” says Helene, Bill adds that the production of community calendars, in conjunction with the Elks and Order of the Royal Purple, for four years provided vital income. The City of Terrace made a contribution as did Alcan who, says Bill McRae, realized (he value of the service to their employees. Word of the CT drive spread throughout the norihwest -and the resull-was contributions from people and groups who realized the value of a regionally-based CT service. “BC Tel employees from the Charlottes to Houston responded greatly to the project,’ says Bill McRae. ‘‘All the service clubs were pretly good lo us,”” The foundation also used old-fashioned business sense in pursuing the best deal. Ata key meeting with GE, the company which eventual- ly won the bid, Bill McRae and others wanted to know what kind of deal they could get if they provided the ma- jority of the money up front. “Td say it knocked $80,000 by providing that up front money. We weren’t getting much interest from the bank anyway,”’ he said. Aside from the CT drive, the foundation has either raised or has bad funneled through it other monies for other equipment at the hospital, It’s a lengthy list that takes in the top priorities identified by local physicians. Just as pleasing to the foundation are contributions it has arranged trom outside charities for equipment. One of those organizations, the TB Vets, has so far made three separate donations for ventilators, says Helen McRae. Next on the foundation’s ‘'to do”’ list is the construction of senior citizen housing on land adjacent to Terraceview Lodge. King legacy touches everyone ONE WAY to measure the good things about a communily is the creation of groups aimed at bellering everyday life. Terrace has such an example — the Rick and Paul King Foundation. It’s named after Rick King atid his son, Paul, killed in a tragic traffic accident in November 1993 on Hwy16 while returning from a hockey game in Prince Rupert. Rick King was an alderman who chaired the cily’s recreation and parks committee. He was also heavily in- volved in minor hockey. And so it was almost natural that a like-minded group would form with the purpose of raising money for an ex- pansion of the arena here. ‘We were all affected by the accident, we had worked with Rick and were involved with the second sheet,’’ re- members one of the foundation’s founding members, Brian Downie. ‘‘We wanted a tribute to Rick and to Paul and do something within the city’s recreation program in a project such as this.”’ The group began talking in early 1994 and by mid-year, had the basics for the foundation in place. Its primary goal was to raise money to assist. the .coustruction of a second .-. | i Joy The foundation’s contribution to the 1995 second sheet sheet of ice at the arena, long a goal of the minor hockey organization in the city. The foundation began raising money through auctions and contributed to the plans for an areua expansion as part of city’s move to hold a referendum on the subject of bor- rowing money for the project. The subsequent referendum was held in the city and sur- rounding rural area in 1995, It didn’t pass and the founda- tion then became involved with the city in plans to have a private developer building and operate a second sheet. That idea was shelved this year because of economics but the foundation remains convinced that an arena addi- tion will happen eventually because there is a need. ‘When teams from outside came here they’re amazed at the size of the minor hockey organization. and that we have only one rink,’’ says Downie. ‘They ask us how do we make it work and we say il’s a struggle,”’ With an expanded arena not on the immediate horizon, the foundation is contributing in other ways. It made a $5,000 donation to improve the arcna’s sound system. in time for the Northern B.C, Winter Games. And it wants to examine other recreation project possibilities. “If there’s another sports facility proposal, baseball ficlds for example, we'd be interesfed in those discussions toséeif we:-havé-a role.to.play,”? says Downic. of ice effort was $13,000. It raised $25,000 in a 1995 auc- tion and beld another last year. That resulted in a $7,000 donation to the Northern B.C. Winter Games held here. to the community. Terrace is a community that welcomes progress with open arms and is looking forward to the future. Terrace is rapidly growing and with growth comes new business and new faces Terrace is progress! Terrace Progress Edilion 1997, February 26, 1997 ~- Page 9 COMMON CAUSE of providing for equipment at Mills Memorial Hospital brought a group of local people together to form the Dr. R.E.M. Lee Hospital Foundation. Helene McRae, Bill McRae and Alex Houlden are part of the original core group. Thousands of great homes, one — ~ foundation. At Nebon Homes, oor toundation is customer satisfaction. Custoar home planning with Nelan brings together your dreams aud our craftsnnaship. The result is a hone we'll both be proud of Qur trick record covers 40 years and aver 30,000 homies:4- For your free copy af our video, call 1-800-570-6002. You'll see that investing in a - Nelson Home puts you an very solid: ground, : peeelson HOMES wae bordercitycom/behoit-honies Everyt (Excluding collectables & selected furniture) Sale On From February 26 to March 1 We Will Be Closed March 2 For Inventory THE CITY OF Sale includes | all Gemma’s locations.