South Huron Hospital Foundation Gala raises $557,000

Mentalist Ryan Edwards was featured at this year’s South Huron Hospital Foundation Gala, which raised $557,000. (Melissa V. Photography photo)

By Dan Rolph

It was another successful year for the South Huron Hospital Foundation Gala, which raised $557,000.

The gala was the 17th hosted by the foundation and took place on Friday, June 5, welcoming supporters from the community to the South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter for an evening of glamour, good food and entertainment.

The gala has a long tradition of bringing exciting guests to the area for the evening, having previously welcomed famous and familiar faces including Colin Mochrie, Rick Mercer, Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser, Chris Hadfield and more.

This year’s event brought a new experience to the stage as Ryan Edwards, an entertainer labelled as “Canada’s Top Mentalist” performed.

The event also saw the return of the Fund-a-Need fundraiser, where guests raised $175,000 in just five minutes. This year’s Fund-a-Need was dedicated to renovating a patient safe room in the hospital’s emergency department. Though the hospital doesn’t have a designated mental health emergency room, it often requires one as many as three times per week.

The annual gala is one of several annual fundraisers that takes place throughout the year. Also coming up is the 21st annual golf tournament on Sept. 11 and the 13th annual radiothon on Oct. 30.