Radiothon surpasses $100K goal to support RVH and improve local health care

The Keep Life Wild Radiothon exceeds its $100K target with donations still rolling in.

The 12-hour Keep Life Wild Radiothon to support keeping health care closer to home surpassed its goal on Tuesday and donations are still pouring in.

CTV Barrie’s radio partners, BOUNCE 104.1 and Pure Country 106 held the day-long radiothon to raise $100,000 for Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) and blew by that goal, so far raising $111,106.10.

“I’m not sure who kicked in the dime, but it put us over the top,” said Pure Country 106 program director Josh Duncan. “That number will go up as donations continue to trickle in, but that’s where we sit.”

Throughout the radiothon, stories were shared from health care providers and those who received care at RVH. Pure Country on-air host Jason McCoy said hearing the voices first-hand pushes the purpose of the event.

“It reminds people that putting those tools in the hands of those that take care of us is paramount,” shared Pure Country on-air host Jason McCoy.

The fundraiser is part of RVH’s Keeping Life Wild campaign aimed at raising $100 million for expanded services, new technology and improved patient spaces across Simcoe Muskoka. The funds help shorten wait times to reduce hallway medicine and help to keep patients local for treatment.

“It doesn’t matter what the challenge is, what the request is, people want the care closer to home, they don’t want to be driving down the highways for care,” said RVH Foundation Board of Directors Mary-Anne Frith.

This year, PureHealth Pharmacy committed to matching all donations up to $50,000, making every donation go twice as far.

According to Duncan, the radiothon has raised well over $2 million for RVH over the years.

“This community is so unbelievably generous,” said Frith. “We’re so lucky to have the people that we do in the region, they step up time and again.”

In all, the one-day event raised a total of $112,000 for RVH.