The Airdrie Health Foundation is inviting residents out to their annual gala to help support public health within the community.
On Sept. 16, the Airdrie Health Foundation will be hosting their 10th annual gala, with this year’s theme being, "Ilumina La Noche" or "Light Up the Night." The event will be held at the Town and Country Centre and will have live entertainment from Tango Calgary starting at 5:30 p.m.
Health Foundation co-founder and executive director, Michelle Bates, said the theme for the event came at the time when the Urgent Care Centre within the city was closed at 10 p.m. as a means to raise awareness about the issue.
Bates said the event will transport attendees into a Spanish market. The event will have food, dancing, a casino, and guest speakers from Urgent Care Centre and Mental Health Clinic in Airdrie
The Airdrie Health Foundation is a charity that looks to support public health needs within the city. Bates said the money raised goes to help residents at the Airdrie Community Health Centre and Mental Health Clinic.
“It goes to the highest priority health care needs in Airdire that are things that would never be funded otherwise,” she said. “All funds raised stay in Airdrie and help Airdrie residents.”
Bates said every year the gala continues to grow and feedback from the community remains positive. She added attendees have noted the positive impact it has on the donors as they hear first-hand how their donations have impacted physicians and patients.
Bates said the health foundation helps with education, equipment, renovations, mental health, speech, audiology, and a number of other important needs.
Recognizing individuals may need help without realizing it, Bates said the role of the foundation is to enhance the needs within the city. She said it’s important to prioritize community health.
“You never know what you need until you need it, and sometimes you don’t know how sick you actually are,” she said. “We’re supporting ourselves. We’re making ourselves healthy, our community healthy and to grow with resilience.”
Front-line staff within the city who work closely with the Airdrie Health Foundation will bring them with their needs in a request format, Bates said. The board then goes through the requests and prioritizes the highest need.
“Sometimes they give us requests that are urgent, other times the requests are just a nice to have,” Bates said. “We think about what the impact to the staff is and the impact to the patients are and we make decisions based on that.”
Those looking to support the Airdrie Health Foundation can donate any time through their website. Bates said becoming a monthly donor or a legacy donor is also a good way to support health needs within the community.
For anyone wishing to learn more about the Airdrie Health Foundation and their work within the community, they can visit www.airdriehealthfoundation.com.
