“We appreciate the support the community has given to the Blanche River Health 50/50 lottery, and we hope to continue to have their support for the Split-the-Pot lottery,” said Sullivan. “The last Blanche River Health 50/50 lottery jackpot winner will be drawn on Wednesday, January 31 at 10 a.m.” 

The new lottery will feature 13 draws, including early bird prizes and a guaranteed jackpot of $500,000. Tickets will be available at www.splitthepot.ca. More details will be shared about the program before it launches.

Proceeds from the Split-the-Pot campaigns will go towards the $146,000 goal of buying new medical equipment for local patients who experience cardiac issues. Lottery ticket revenues have raised $16,000 towards this goal to date.    

The $146,000 goal will fund:

• One automatic compression machine, used to provide patients with cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) when they have stopped breathing. The machine would be for the Kirkland Lake site, as Englehart already has one.
• Replacement of seven cardiac monitors used at both sites by clinicians to ensure they are aware of any changes in heart activity.
• Two automatic emergency defibrillators (AEDs) to help restart a patient’s heart when it has suddenly stopped beating.

 “Heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada after cancer, and a leading cause of hospitalization, so we have a lot of people in our community at risk of having a heart issue that requires immediate attention,” added Sullivan. “Having modern equipment at Blanche River Health is crucial to saving lives, whether patients stay with us, or are transferred to a cardiology centre out of town.” 

In addition to buying Split-the-Pot lottery tickets, individuals can support the cardiac fund raised by making individual donations online at www.blancheriverhealth.ca, or by calling (705) 567-5251 ext, 2156. Donations should be marked “Cardiac Fund”. 

“Support for Hospital Foundations is crucial because the money raised helps bridge the gap between funding hospitals receive from the government, and expenses for unfunded medical equipment and infrastructure,” added Sullivan. “We thank you for your support.”

Blanche River Health is a 74-bed hospital corporation with two sites serving the North Eastern Ontario communities of Englehart (26 beds) and Kirkland Lake (48 beds) as well as residents in surrounding areas.