Charlotte FM’s 8th annual radiothon in support of the Charlotte County Hospital Foundation takes place on Thursday.
Steve Backman, president of the foundation, said the focus for this year’s fundraiser is on patient comfort at the hospital in St. Stephen.
Backman said most of the $75,000 they are hoping to raise will go toward new patient beds, along with a few wheelchairs.
“First and foremost is some of the regular room beds which people are used to seeing. Ours are very old, the mattresses are lumpy, the remotes don’t work. We really need to upgrade those and bring larger, more comfortable mattresses for inpatients,” said Backman.
The foundation also wants to purchase specially designed beds for infirmed patients who are at risk of developing bedsores and other issues associated with being bed-ridden.
Backman said they also intend to buy a “cuddle bed” for the palliative care ward, which allows family members to rest with their loved ones.
“Nobody thinks about the bed that they’re going to spend several days in without moving until they actually do it,” Backman said about the need for new beds.
To date, Backman said the annual fundraiser has raised nearly $500,000, with all of the money staying in the community.
“The county has always stepped up to support the hospital and a very important spin-off of that is the support for the morale of the staff,” he said.
You can make a donation by calling 506-466-1000 or 506-466-2222, or by dropping the Charlotte FM studios on Milltown Boulevard from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Donations are also being accepted online, through e-transfer by emailing cchfcares@gmail.com, or by mailing a cheque to 4 Garden Street, St. Stephen, N.B., E3L 2L9.
