鈥楾is the season for giving.

The Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation launched its 30th annual Light a Bulb Campaign Wednesday with a goal of $250,000 for critical equipment at VJH.

Endoscopes are urgently required by physicians and medical staff in the Ambulatory Care Unit. The scopes are diagnostic tools featuring exceptional clarity in imaging and can detect early cancers and other life threatening illnesses.

鈥淓ach year more than 5,000 patients in the North Okanagan undergo endoscopic diagnostic testing in our Ambulatory Care Unit at VJH,鈥� said Dr. Curtis Mohamed, 2017 Light a Bulb Chair.

鈥淗alf of the patients we scope in the provincial colon screening program have polyps removed. These are small tumours that can turn to cancer,鈥� said Dr. Hamish Hwang, VJH General Surgeon. 鈥淏y removing these polyps, we prevent hundreds of people in our community from getting colorectal cancer every year.鈥�

The official campaign launch takes place Monday, Nov. 13 with the lighting of the hospital tree on top of VJH. The bulbs will shine all week, then will be turned off and lit throughout the campaign in stages as the Foundation advances towards its goal.

From Nov. 13 to 20 Light a Bulb donation brochures will be delivered in mailboxes throughout the North Okanagan.

Businesses, schools, clubs or organizations wishing to support Light a Bulb through their own special fundraising events are encouraged to contact the Foundation office at 250-558-1362.

Since 1988, Light a Bulb has raised more than $4.5 million to purchase essential medical equipment for the hospital. Each $35 tax deductible gift will light one bulb on the tree of lights a top VJH; $500 will light an entire string. Every gift great or small brings us closer to our goal.

Donations can be made online at or mailed to Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation, 2101 - 32nd Street, Vernon, B.C., V1T 5L2.