BONNYVILLE - The Bonnyville Health Foundation is celebrating 25 years of hosting its fundraiser gala for the hospital in Bonnyville.
The formal event is set for April 12 at the C2 Centre Fieldhouse, and proceeds are going toward supporting mental health services in the community.
Dawn Weber, Executive Director of the Bonnyville Health Foundation, said in April of 2024 they raised over $524,000 that was designated to their area of greatest need.
“This year, we will focus on our Local Mental Health Fund and will commit up to $100,000 from the gala proceeds to complete the fundraising needed to set up a Mental Health Seclusion Room as part of the Emergency Department renovations at the Bonnyville Health Centre,” said Webber.
Weber said the silver anniversary theme of the event will honour the milestone and what has been accomplished in the last 25 years for the hospital.
The event will also incorporate the addition of awards for healthcare staff and physicians that have practiced in Bonnyville for 25 years or more.
“We are thrilled to add the new element in 2025 of recognizing so many deserving healthcare heroes as well and we hope it will inspire others to give generously, or maybe even consider pursuing a career in healthcare,” said Weber.
This glamorous event will have a dress code of formal wear in black, silver, and white, in recognition of the silver anniversary. Weber said they hope to see a lot of sparkle and shine at the event to create an ambience of celebration.
“The greatest experience on the night of the hospital gala is having 700 local community members in one room working together toward a common goal. It's heartwarming to see the dedication and understanding our community has that we depend on donor dollars to take our hospital and its services to the next level,” said Weber.
Weber is enthusiastic about what the gala has to offer, and though it boasts all the makings of a glamourous evening, the heart of the gala is found within the community and the fundraising efforts.
“While the Bonnyville Health Foundation strives to make it an unforgettable evening with delicious food . . . customized cocktail creations . . . and of course, an amazing live band and dance . . . the focus and purpose of this event is bringing the community together to fundraise for our hospital,” said Weber.
She said the evening will be filled with surprises in the form of fundraising elements in the silent and live auctions, and the raffles.
“Last year, we had a large raffle that boasted 10 prizes of vacations around the world. But this year, for our milestone, we will be giving away over $25,000 in cash prizes,” said Weber.
The gala raffle will soft launch ticket sales on Nov. 20 at CAFN8 Cafe in downtown Bonnyville. There will also be a promotion of sales at the Town of Bonnyville Festival of Trees on Nov. 30.
“Tickets are $100 each and this is a re-draw style raffle, which means that one ticket can win all six prize draws. This is a great chance to buy tickets for friends and family as a Christmas gift or stocking stuffer and the early bird prize draw of $2,500 will be held on Dec. 20. All other draws will take place at the gala,” said Weber.
General admission tickets for the gala will be sold in two phases, with the first phase having ticket sales available on Dec. 1 at the Town of Bonnyville Festival of Trees. Tickets are $150 and must be purchased in multiples of two with a maximum single purchase of eight tickets.
Weber reports that this year's Silver Anniversary Gala is presented by the Town of Bonnyville.
“The Town of Bonnyville has already approved a multi-year commitment as our $25,000 presenting sponsor. But the MD of Bonnyville is close behind with a five-year commitment of $25,000 for the Bonnyville Health Foundation, with $20,000 of that going toward the gala as a Milestone Impact Sponsor,” said Weber.
The Bonnyville Health Foundation is still accepting corporate or personal sponsorship starting at $1,000 and up to $20,000 with recognition packages in relation to the sponsorship. Sponsors of $3,000 or higher have tickets reserved or included with their packages so sponsors do not have to line up to purchase tickets at the general admission sales.
Sponsor titles are limited, and if you are interested you can contact Weber at 780-201-3079 or admin@bonnyvillehealthfoundation.org .
If you would like to volunteer, help is needed to set up for the gala on April 11 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
“Many hands make light work . . . We welcome individuals or corporate teams to join us in shifts as short as one hour or stay for the day and enjoy a team lunch with us while we work. We also require volunteers the night of the event for a variety of shifts and duties. Please reach out to sign up. Volunteers will be well fed the same tasty food as guests,” said Weber.
Weber said they are proud to be an affiliate foundation of Covenant Health, and every penny raised in the Lakeland is stored at the local Credit Union. Weber reports that every cheque written and signed by the board of directors pays for local investments to upgrade the hospital and improve the access the community has to healthcare.
"I can confidently say that our community is filled with both corporate management and healthcare workers who are all very humble people who do not seek glory or recognition in their respective roles when it comes to investing their passion or their funds into our hospital,” said Weber.