Bringing Hearts Home campaign receives $1M donation from Murray Auto Group

A fundraiser to help bring cardiac care to Lethbridge is nearing its goal of $30 million. Murray Auto Group put in $1 million Monday.

A fundraiser to help bring cardiac care to Lethbridge is nearing its goal of $30 million.

Chris Murray of Murray Auto Group made a $1-million donation on Monday, bringing the campaign’s total up to $25 million.

The Chinook Regional Hospital Foundation began the campaign 18 months ago with a goal to raise $30 million in 30 months.

Southern Alberta has a 30 per cent higher mortality rate from heart disease compared to anywhere else in the province.

The auto group is celebrating its 100th anniversary and took the chance to support the community in a larger-than-normal way.

“The fact that I gave a million dollars today and we’re that much closer—that’s just part of the journey, and I knew this project would come to fruition sometime because of the work Dr. (Sayeh) Zielke is doing,” Murray said.

“It’s a pure reflection of what a movement this campaign has transformed into in our community, and at the end of the day, it’s not about the dollar value—it’s about the fact that every donation helps us get closer to the goal of helping save lives,” said Zielke, a cardiologist.

The future cardiac care facility will include two catheterization labs, along with dedicated cardiac CT and MRI imaging capacity.