St. Paul’s Hospital Lights of Hope Display Shines Bright

St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation delighted thousands last night at its 18th annual Lights of Hope community celebration. While a spectacle of lights and fireworks lit up the sky above St. Paul’s hospital, it was announced that St. Paul’s staff and volunteers had collectively pledged $400,000 and challenge the community to raise the remainder of the $3 million campaign goal to support the hospital’s greatest needs.

The record-setting crowd was filled with excitement in anticipation of the Lights of Hope display being lit for the first time in 2015. Featuring over 10km of lights, 100,000 bulbs, hundreds of sponsored stars and built entirely by volunteers using donated materials, the annual holiday display is the public launch of the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation Lights of Hope fundraiser. The campaign raises much needed funds for enhanced patient care, urgently needed equipment and world-leading research and teaching initiatives.

“Every year, St. Paul’s invites the community to join us as we light the display and launch the Lights of Hope fundraising campaign,” said Dick Vollet, President and CEO, St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation. “The incredible vote of confidence from our staff and volunteers, who already give so much, is overwhelming. With help from our community we will reach our $3 million goal, and fund our hospital’s greatest needs that support compassionate care for our patients.”

Since its inception in 1998, Lights of Hope has raised more than $25.6 million, funding urgently needed equipment and other items in St. Paul’s GI Clinic, Emergency Department and Maternity Centre. Groundbreaking research at the internationally-renowned Centre for Heart Lung Innovation (HLI) at St. Paul’s has been supported by Lights of Hope, including work to detect heart, lung and blood vessel diseases in their earliest stages to stop them from progressing. Donor support through Lights of Hope was essential to this project, as each dollar that went to the HLI secured six more dollars from other sources.

The community is encouraged to donate to Lights of Hope and support St. Paul’s greatest needs by visiting www.lightsofhope.com.

The Lights of Hope display will be lit nightly until January 4th, 2016.

Article source: http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2015/11/20/st-pauls-hospital-lights-of-hope-display-shines-bright/