It鈥檚 the most wonderful time of the year for the 琉璃神社 General Hospital Foundation.

The annual Day of Giving returns on Wednesday, May 17, a fundraiser that has brought in more than $3.8 million over its seven-year span.

This year, money raised will be going directly towards a brand-new, state-of-the-art 3T MRI machine, something that will greatly increase the testing capacity of the hospital.

鈥淢RI is an absolutely critical diagnostic technology in medicine today,鈥� said Allison Young, CEO of the KGH Foundation. 鈥淭he fact that KGH currently only has one machine 鈥� the oldest in B.C. 鈥� is no longer acceptable. As our community continues to grow, thousands of Central Okanagan patients wait too long for MRI which in turn, delays their care team鈥檚 ability to diagnose and treat what is ailing them.鈥�

The acquisition of the new machine is expected to allow more than double the amount of yearly MRI scans that the hospital is currently capable of, from 7,000 to 15,000.

KGH鈥檚 current 1.5T MRI machine already operates 147 hours per week.

鈥�3T is faster and produces clearer scans,鈥� said radiologist Dr. Michael Partrick. 鈥淚t allows for more precision in the diagnosis and treatment of a multitude of issues including brain tumours, strokes, aneurysms, multiple sclerosis, cancers and more.鈥�

Donations on May 17, can be made via phone at 250-980-6123, a drive-thru donation station at Rose Avenue and Pandost Street, or with the Sprott Shaw College Change Bandits, who will be on the corner with their change buckets.

Up to $250,000 will be matched dollar-for-dollar until 11:59 p.m.

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Jake.courtepatte@kelownacapnews.com
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