BC Children's Hospital Foundation launches the Search for a Super Community

VANCOUVER , Sept. 22 /CNW/ - BC Children's Hospital Foundation is calling on BC communities of all shapes, sizes and definitions to participate in its Search for a Super Community. The program, launched on September 21 on Global BC TV, gives communities across the province an opportunity to raise their profile while helping raise awareness of the need for a new BC Children's Hospital.

"BC Children's Hospital treats kids from every corner of BC and in turn receives support from hundreds of communities," said Sue Carruthers , president and CEO of BC Children's Hospital Foundation. "The Search for a Super Community is a fun way for us to engage and give back to these communities while raising awareness of the need for a new BC Children's Hospital. The communities that support us are not necessarily defined by geography or size, and we've set up the search to include communities of any sort."

The search will run until October 16 , which is the last day for community submissions, and the winning community will be profiled on Global BC TV, in the Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers and on the BC Children's Hospital Foundation website on October 26 .

Communities can register online at www.supercommunity.ca and can be schools, social clubs, businesses, teams or, of course, towns or cities. The winning community will be selected based on creativity, broad involvement and demonstration of community spirit.

"Every year we see groups and individuals come up with all sorts of great ideas to raise money for or awareness of BC Children's Hospital," said Sue Carruthers . "The Search for a Super Community is an opportunity for them to harness their energy and creativity to help BC's kids while also fostering some fun competition among communities, and giving them a chance to show the province what makes them great."

The Search for a Super Community website (www.supercommunity.ca) offers ideas for fun activities and fundraising opportunities.

About BC Children's Hospital

BC Children's Hospital is the province's only full-service acute care hospital and serves the one million children living in BC and the Yukon. All children who are seriously ill or injured are referred to Children's Hospital and are either treated at the hospital facility in Vancouver or, with consultation from Children's specialists, in their home community. Last year, more than 72,000 children were treated at Children's Hospital. BC Children's Hospital Foundation received donations from more than 120,000 people last year and had revenues of over $61.3 million . Funds raised by the foundation are used to support BC Children's Hospital, Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children and the Child & Family Research Institute.

About the Campaign for BC Children

Priorities of the Campaign for BC Children include construction of a new hospital - including an Emergency Department, Diagnostics and Imaging, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Operating Suites and patient rooms; the relocation of childhood development and rehabilitation services from Sunny Hill Health Centre in East Vancouver to the Oak Street home of BC Children's, and Child Health BC, a BC Children's Hospital initiative that is building pediatric care capacity throughout the province.

Construction of the new Children's Hospital will provide urgently needed space for critical care. For example, the current operating rooms are antiquated and do not have adequate space to accommodate the high tech equipment required for complex surgical procedures. Patient rooms in the existing hospital were not built to accommodate family members or provide the healing environment children need for quicker recovery.

BC Children's Hospital Foundation launched the Campaign for BC Children exactly one year ago, when Premier Gordon Campbell announced provincial government support for the plan to rebuild the hospital and relocate Sunny Hill . To date, BC Children's Hospital Foundation has received campaign donations from thousands of British Columbians in 223 BC communities. The community has contributed $82 million to date toward the $200-million campaign.

For further information: Stephen Forgacs, Communications, [phone], [phone], 1-888-663-3033, [email protected], www.bcchf.ca; Alex Mitchell, Communications, [phone] ext. 5458, [phone], 1-888-663-3033, [email protected], www.bcchf.ca