CELEBRATING 40 YEARS
!!
CELEBRATING 40 YEARS !!
Access Foundation Time Capsules
Stay Tuned - more will be published each month!Click on the years you are interested in and you will be taken to a webpage with the associated time capsule.A Brief Overview of Foundation History
The High River District Health Care Foundation was established on March 25, 1986, and obtained charitable registration on October 16, 1986. For the first five years, hospital staff ran the Foundation in addition to their regular departmental responsibilities. The only fundraising activity was the annual Dinner and Auction, which continues to be a signature event in the community today.
In November 1991, the “Be Our Partner” campaign was launched, marking the beginning of a formal Fund Development program. A Fund Development Coordinator, Pam Mason, was hired in April 1992, and the following December, the Foundation was given a dedicated space within the hospital.
Cathy Couey began working with the High River District Health Care Foundation in 1999, shortly before one of the Foundation’s early Dinner and Auction events, where she stepped into her fundraising role just weeks before the gala! The Community Cancer Centre in High River opened in 1998, supported by community fundraising efforts including those linked with the Foundation. Around the same time, the Cataract Surgical Program began and still remains today at the hospital.
In 2009, the Board hired a full-time Executive Director, Michael Brown. From 2010 to 2015, the Foundation continued to build on its long‑standing role in supporting local healthcare. In 2013, the Foundation partnered with the Rotary Club of High River to launch the Cancer Care… close to home campaign, a community‑driven initiative to expand and enhance the High River Community Cancer Centre—raising significant funds toward renovation and equipment to ensure local access to high‑quality cancer care. Despite the campaign launching just before the flood of 2013, it still managed to be the most significant capital campaign for the Foundation.
Like so many organizations, the progression of COVID-19 required the Foundation to adapt quickly and thoughtfully. For two years, our highly anticipated annual Dinner and Auction was reimagined as an outdoor concert, allowing us to continue connecting with our community in a safe and meaningful way. During this time, the Foundation also placed a strong focus on supporting frontline staff, made possible through the generosity and care of our community.
In recent years, third-party fundraising events have grown tremendously, reflecting the incredible generosity and spirit of our community. Local groups and organizations have stepped up in meaningful ways, hosting events that raise vital funds to support care close to home. Initiatives such as 4-H clubs, the Legion, Smile Cookie Week, and Tough Enough to Wear Pink are wonderful examples of how community-driven efforts are making a real difference.
Wendy Kennelly joined the Foundation in 2021 as the Executive Director, taking over from Michael Brown. In her role, she has since overseen major fundraising projects — including the Patient Entertainment Project that reached its goal in 2023 and the Operating Room Project that raised over $500,000, resulting in new equipment and a donor recognition wall at the High River Hospital.
The Foundation received its first endowed bequest in 1989, which established a permanent endowment fund. Over the years, the endowment fund has grown and now stands at over $2.7 million. The intent of the endowment fund is to ensure the long-term viability of the Foundation.
In 1996 the Cattle and Grain Round Up was started by local farmers and ranchers — Wilf Longson, Fred Randle, Lew Callahan, Harley Earl, Richard Newman, and Wilson Sutherland — who created a way for the community to support the Foundation by donating cattle, grain, or cash. Today it remains a cherished annual tradition that has helped raise over $1.1 million for local healthcare. One of the first programs supported by the Cattle and Grain Round Up was a Cardiac Stress Testing Program lead by Dr. Spackman.
The Foundation’s scholarship and education support program began in 2002, helping invest in continuing education for local healthcare staff and strengthening recruitment, retention, and quality of care delivered in High River and Nanton. The Foundation also helped contribute to building upgrades such as, expansion of the front of the facility, updated lab space, and renovations to the emergency department in 2002
In 2016, the Foundation was actively fundraising for advanced operating room equipment at the High River Hospital, including new scopes, sterilization tools, and technology to support expanded surgical procedures. The new equipment attracted more surgeons, reduced wait times, and increased the number and types of surgeries performed locally. A few years after that, in 2019, the Foundation was dedicated to updating the maternity suites located at the hospital.
Foundation Board Members & Staff
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