My name is Elizabeth Marr and today I want you to know how inspired I am by the kindness of our community.

As Chair of Victoria Hospital Foundation Board, I have to say I'm in a fortunate position. Because not only do I get of be part of facilitating great change in my home province, I also get to see how much further the Foundation team can improve healthcare each and every year. And it's all thanks to kind-hearted Manitobans like you.

Through your selfless and generous gifts, you supported our community's well-being through a time unlike any before. From everyone at Victoria Hospital Foundation: Thank you for being there for your neighbours, friends, and loved ones.

Despite the challenges of COVID-19, incredible progress was made. Please take a look at some of the many highlights from this past year. You'll see just a few examples of the life-changing impact already made – and how your support will continue to improve our community's well-being even further! Which is why today I ask you...

Please consider a gift to Victoria Hospital Foundation to bring healthier futures to the people of our community.

Now, before I say any more, I should tell you my first expertise is not healthcare fundraising. It's investing. It's the profession I've dedicated myself to for over 30 years and how I started my journey at Victoria Hospital Foundation (on the investment committee of the Board).

Recently, I was asked what brought me to Victoria Hospital Foundation and my answer was simple. We are not your typical healthcare foundation, because we don't just focus on supporting best-in-class care to patients at Victoria Hospital. Our staff goes far beyond and takes the initiative in improving the well-being of our entire community! And that's exactly what your gift enables them to do: to maintain and expand programs, initiatives, and services for people in need of compassionate care in our community.

So, as an investment professional, I ask you to not just see the monetary value of your gift, but to see the investment you're making in our community today and for generations to come.

One such program I'm very excited about which you may have heard of already is our Telepresence Robot Research Project at the University of Manitoba in partnership with Research Manitoba. These robots allow informal caregivers who can't be there all the time to check in on community members coping with the daily difficulties of dementia at any time. It will also enable out-of-town family members to participate in their loved one's care, making everyone involved in the caregiving process happier and healthier!

Please understand: it's initiatives like this that your gift makes a reality. Donations are what empower us to establish partnerships with other organizations dedicated to making a difference in our community, to shift and improve our healthcare services during emergency situations (like COVID), and to harness technology in creative, caring ways like we never have before! That's the power of your gift today!

Speaking of finding creative ways to care, I have to say if COVID taught me anything it's that you'd be surprised what you can still do during a global pandemic.

Beyond providing free TV services for the mental well-being of in-patients at Victoria Hospital and iPads so they could stay in contact with loved ones during lockdowns, our Foundation team was able to care for frontline workers by investing in projects to support their well-being and resiliency. They also initiated a Send A Smile To A Senior program where holiday care packages were sent to local seniors who have particularly struggled through this time. 

It's amazing to see these initiatives come to fruition, to watch ideas become actions that result in happiness, joy, and a renewed optimism in those who feel all hope is lost. Being able to facilitate those moments is what motivates all of us, Board and staff, at Victoria Hospital Foundation. But these are all things only made possible by your donation. Truly, the value of your support cannot be understated or needed more as we all navigate through COVID-19 and return to a new normal.

Since our Foundation took on the mission to continuously advance healthcare across our community, we've come a great distance. But there is still much to be done.

There are still ways we, together, can effect great change in the lives of friends, neighbours, and loved ones. And that excites me. Because not knowing what's next, not knowing what new partnerships, programs, and opportunities will come our way and allow us to make a monumental difference in our community is, for me, the real joy of being part of Victoria Hospital Foundation – and why I hope you'll join us with a gift today.

So, if there's one item that I'd like you to take away from this letter, it's this: Have confidence in our mission. See its value. And understand what your gift can do for your community.

Your gift is what changes lives.

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Marr
Chair
Victoria Hospital Foundation

P.S. The saying goes that you should "put your money where you mouth is." But I prefer to say to "put it where your heart is." That's why I'm not only Chair at Victoria Hospital Foundation Board – I'm also a long-time donor. I've always believed in giving back, and in my own experience, there are few things more important than our well-being. So, I truly hope you see the incredible difference your gift today makes in the lives of thousands.

P.P.S. This year is Victoria Hospital Foundation's 50th anniversary! It's amazing to look back and see how far care has come – and how half a century later, we're still finding ways to innovate and improve care. So, in the spirit of this milestone, I hope you send a gift today. Thank you.