Concordia Hospital staff empowered to run for cause

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This article was published 19/10/2011 (5420 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A planned $7 million community health clinic is now one step closer to fruition thanks to the recent efforts of a group of dedicated Concordia Hospital employees.

More than 200 hospital employees took part in the Empower Run, a 10-kilometre run and three-kilometre fun walk or run, held last month at Kildonan Park.

The event, which was held in conjunction with Athletics Manitoba, helped raise more than $13,000 for the Concordia Community Clinic Project. The 24,000-sq. ft. clinic is being spearheaded by the Concordia Foundation, the fundraising branch of the hospital.

The clinic will improve outpatient services, pre-admission processes for same-day surgery, and respiratory services. There will also be commercial space available for health industry businesses.

Jo-Ann Letters, a 22-year employee of the hospital, said taking part in the fundraising effort helped bring staff closer together while also helping the foundation achieve its goal.

“They announced a team challenge, and being a team player I decided it was something I had to do,” said Letters, who lives in East Kildonan.

“Supporting the foundation, it was a lot of fun.”

Letters said she was impressed by the number of staff members who took time out of their weekends to participate in the run.

“From the beginning people seemed to be so enthusiastic about it,” she said. “There was a spirit of team-building and camaraderie. It was awesome. It made me very proud to be part of it.”

Brent Kreller, director of human resource services for the hospital, said in addition to helping the foundation move closer to its fundraising goal, it promoted a sense of togetherness among staff.

“We’ve done these kind of run and walk events in the past and we would have 60 or 70 people out,” said Kreller, who lives in River Park South.

“Of the 400 total participants, about 250 of those came from the staff and their families.”

Diana Stevens, executive director of Athletics Manitoba, said her organization plans to meet with the foundation to determine if they will be partners again in the future.

Stevens said the event was a positive experience for everyone who participated.

“It was an incredible event. Participation in the team event was amazing and the enthusiasm and energy they brought to the event is indescribable,” she said.

Letters, who never took part in a staff run prior to this year, said she plans to make it a regular part of her routine.

“I think people got really into it, and I’ll do this again for sure,” she said.

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adrian.alleyne@canstarnews.com