The community celebrated the first annual grant from the Terry McKerrow Endowment Fund for Medical Equipment on Friday.
The legacy of the Terry McKerrow CAT Scan Operating Fund now exists forever, embraced within the North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation.
This year’s grant of more than $11,000 is supporting the community’s highest fundraising priority for our hospital, the Cancer Care, Close to Home campaign.
“I am delighted to know that my husband Terry’s legacy is being celebrated in this way,” said Norah McKerrow in a release.
“This grant announcement comes on the 27th anniversary of his death [July 6th]. Terry would have been pleased knowing that he inspired our community’s fundraising efforts which are having an enormous impact on patients in our community, forever.”
Established in 1993 by devoted Lions Club members, led by Reg Laroche and named in honour of the late Terry McKerrow, volunteers worked tirelessly to fundraise for our community’s hospital care.
From 1995-2000, the Fund disbursed over $750,000 supporting the annual operations of North Bay’s first CT scanner.
When the operating costs of the CT Scanner were assured through government funding, the Fund and its volunteers turned their attention to funding other medical equipment to serve our community. Three million dollars was donated for medical equipment for the new Health Centre, $1.5 million for the MRI campaign and most recently, one million dollars to the Cancer Care, Close to Home campaign.
“For 26 years, the Terry McKerrow CAT Scan Operating Fund has supported the medical equipment needs of our region through grants to the Foundation,” said Dennis Young, former Board Chair, McKerrow Fund in a release.
“With our alignment to help enhance healthcare, establishing a Fund within the caring arms of the Foundation was in the organization’s best interest – where it can grow and support the ever-changing medical equipment needs for years to come.”
“Before the Foundation was created, our hospital relied on the dedication and generosity of our community. The Terry McKerrow CAT Scan Operating Fund generated substantial support and exponential impact,” said Tammy Morison, President and CEO, NBRHC Foundation. “Not only did they inspire our community, they demonstrated what is possible, through volunteerism and philanthropy. Through their Endowment Fund they have created a lasting legacy.”
