Even a postal strike was not enough to dampen an unprecedented response to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH) Foundation鈥檚 annual Light A Bulb campaign.

People donated online, they phoned, and came in person to the Foundation鈥檚 office in an outpouring of generosity that resulted in more than $1 million raised towards a new and expanded Uultrasound department at VJH.

鈥淭o say we were blown away by this outpouring of generosity is truly an understatement,鈥� says Kate McBrearty, VJH Foundation executive director. 鈥淭his is historic. Thank you just doesn鈥檛 seem enough 鈥� but I鈥檒l say it anyway 鈥� thank you. We are humbled, inspired and awed by what we witnessed this holiday season.鈥�

McBrearty was especially touched by the community鈥檚 response on GivingTuesday (Dec. 3) when a record-breaking $559,775 was donated in just one day.

Kurt and Jutta Knuever kicked-off this groundswell of support with a matching gift of $250,000, which motivated many to give.

A surprise anonymous matching donation also added to GivingTuesday, tripling the impact of the first $30,000 raised.

鈥淕ivingTuesday was such an exciting day for us! The phones were literally ringing off the hook and we welcomed 72 people who came by in person to drop off their donation,鈥� says McBrearty.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 a lot for our little office,鈥� she adds with a chuckle.

In addition to the $250,000 match for GivingTuesday, the Kneuver鈥檚 made a seed donation of $1 million towards the ongoing Ultrasound Expansion project.

鈥淢y parents believe in giving locally and they understand what a vital role timely access to medical imaging plays in diagnosis and treatment. At some point we鈥檙e all going to need the hospital, so it makes sense. Plus, they鈥檝e seen how matching gifts can inspire our community to get behind a cause,鈥� says the Knuever鈥檚 daughter, Ulrike Gibbs. 鈥淎nd it worked! Our whole family was delighted.鈥�

This year, Foundation staff made a point of asking people why they gave, almost 200 donors replied:

路 Many donated in memory of a loved one.

路 Almost 40 per cent attributed their donation to the excellent and compassionate care they or their family members received from the doctors, nurses and hospital staff at VJH.

路 Other donors connected directly with Tania Robinson鈥檚 story and her gratitude for having access to quality health care close to home. She received medical imaging at VJH during her cancer journey, which meant she could stay close to home with her son 鈥� where it mattered most.

鈥淲e were all deeply saddened to find out that Tania passed away over the holidays,鈥� says McBrearty, noting that Tania was taken care of her in last days at the Vernon Hospice House and passed peacefully, surrounded by love.

The young mother courageously shared her cancer journey and was thrilled to be a part of helping the Foundation beat its GivingTuesday record. A celebration of life takes place March 16, 1 p.m. at the Vernon Recreation Centre.

With all this inspiring support from the community, the success of the Light A Bulb campaign takes the Foundation one step closer to creating an ultrasound department with the capacity to meet the needs of patients today, and for the next 20 years.

鈥淲e are so lucky to live in a community that understands the power of what can be accomplished when we come together,鈥� says McBrearty. 鈥淓very gift matters, no matter the size. I hope everyone is as proud as we are of what we鈥檝e all accomplished together. With deepest gratitude, thank you to everyone that donated and for caring about people in our community that need timely access to imaging.鈥�

Expanding ultrasound services is the next step in creating a state-of-the art medical imaging department to ensure that patients in the North Okanagan have access to the medical imaging services that they need.

Two years ago, Light A Bulb funds closed a campaign to add an additional, top-of-the-line CT scanner and double capacity in that department鈥檚 expansion. Last year, the focus was to add a new state-of-the-art X-ray machine to VJH.

This year, the need was clear: demand for ultrasound has skyrocketed and wait times have doubled in the past three years.

Future projections expect the need for ultrasound to increase by more than 100 per cent in the next two decades.

The expansion will result in a net gain of two fully equipped ultrasound rooms that will add more than 5,000 new scans each year.

As part of the new department, four new larger rooms will be created, making it easier to accommodate stretchers and do inpatient exams.

Additional offices, a new waiting room and a washroom will all contribute to a more efficient layout to improve patient turnaround times and create more staff efficiencies.