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A local charity golf tournament has been rebranded to honour a late Swift Current fire chief.

On Monday the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation announced they’d rebranded their June golf event, the Darren McClelland Memorial Charity Golf Classic.

The decision was an easy one for Jim Dekowny, the executive director of the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation, to help enact.

“We’ve got a really good opportunity here to pay tribute to an amazing firefighter, chief, dad, and husband,” he said. “Kent [Silbernagel], Duane Doane, and myself just thought it was a good fit. We went to Nikki McClelland with our idea and she welcomed us with open arms.”

According to Dekowny, the idea really blossomed during the Bob Pollock Memorial Lobster Pot Par 3 Golf Classic last summer. Another tournament that the healthcare foundation has rebranded in memory of a local.

This spring will mark the 17th installment of the event that’s raised funds for Swift Current’s emergency services and the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation. Not only does it raise money for the Swift Current Fire Department but also the Swift Current EMS, two organizations McClelland had significant ties to.

“When Darren started out, he actually started out on the EMS side with Duane and his group in the ambulance,” he explained. “He progressed from there to be a firefighter and then progressed onto to being the chief in town.”

The event will host 244 golfers at Swift Current’s Elmwood Golf Course & Chinook Golf Course on June 3 with tickets available starting on April 18.

“It’s going to be one of those things where people are going to have to register quickly with the amount of feedback we’ve received already,” he said.

McClelland passed away at the age of 48 in early 2020.

 Written by David Zammit

Source: Swift Current Online 

Source: Swift Current Online

Those out and about on Saturday might have seen some on the ice competition as the U7 Timbits teams faced off, followed up later in the day by the No-Hit League game that followed in the afternoon.

Last Saturday, the Innovation Credit Union and Innovation Wealth Outdoor Classic hosted by the Dr. Noble Irwin Healthcare Foundation took place in Swift Current at Sheldon Kennedy Rink.

Marcus Kouri, Development and Major Gifts Coordinator for the Foundation, said he hopes that the event becomes a regular feature for the city on a yearly basis, considering how unlikely its inception was.

“It started actually with the No-Hit league; they were just wanting a tiebreaker game if that were to happen with our standings for one outdoor game to happen,” Kouri explained. “We all got around a table and just kind of dreamt up this big thing and just made it happen. It all kind of started with just one little ‘maybe an outdoor game?’ and turned into a big outdoor festival.”

Kouri detailed the matches for the day. Starting things off was the U7 Timbits, playing at 12 p.m, 1 p.m, and 2 p.m. Later in the day, the No-Hit League teams took to the ice with three games. Playing first was the Cyclones and the Timberwolves. The second game was the Oilers and the Ankle Bangers, and the third game was the Boh Monkeys against the Kings.

“We’ve got beverage gardens opening up at 3:00p.m,” expanded Kouri. “…with the DJ going on afterwards until 11:00 o’clock at night. It’s just a day of outdoor hockey.”

Proceeds from the event went to the No-Hit League as well as to the Dr. Noble Irwin Healthcare Foundation.

Author: Hayden Michaels

Source: Swift Current Online  

By Matthew Liebenberg

Source: Prairie Post

A new outdoor event in Swift Current will both be a celebration of Canada’s favourite winter sport and a fundraiser for an important piece of medical equipment at the Cypress Regional Hospital.

The Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation is partnering with the Swift Current No-hit Hockey League (SCNHL) to host the inaugural Outdoor Classic at the Sheldon Kennedy rink in Riverdene Park, Jan. 29.

Proceeds from the event will be split between the two partnering organizations, and the money raised by the Healthcare Foundation will support a new fundraising campaign for a digital cell imaging system for the laboratory at the Cypress Regional Hospital.

Sara Adrian, the communications and development coordinator at the Healthcare Foundation, said the digital cell imaging technology will have numerous benefits. It will result in improved patient care, less time will be required to process and review blood smears in the laboratory, and external review of samples in Saskatoon and Regina can be done much sooner.

“We’re excited to get this new technology into the hospital, and really connect the southwest to bigger centres and just improve healthcare for everybody here in the southwest,” she mentioned.

The Outdoor Classic offers a new opportunity for the Healthcare Foundation to connect with the community and to raise funds in support of quality healthcare in southwest Saskatchewan.

Marcus Kouri, the development and major gifts coordinator at the Healthcare Foundation, noted that several other fundraising events are taking place during other times of the year. The Black Tie NHL Hockey Draft takes place in the spring, there are two golf tournaments and the Ribfest in the summer, and the annual Radiothon takes place in the fall.

“This is our first actual winter event,” he said about the Outdoor Classic. “The winter time is usually super quiet for us. So it’s going to give us a chance to get out there, talk to our sponsors, talk to our donors and run that winter event and just give something in the community to do, whether you’re playing in the league or watching your grandson or grandchild play. You can come out to the event and have a lot of fun.”

An idea by the SCNHL to arrange an outdoor league game was the motivation for the creation of the Outdoor Classic. Kouri, who plays in the league, said the Healthcare Foundation was immediately interested in the possibilities of creating an event for the community.

“We thought Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada was a lot of fun,” he said. “So we thought maybe we can recreate a mini one of those, jumped on board with the No-hit League, got the minor hockey involved with the U7s, and just made it into a bigger deal. Rather than just one game, we’re turning it into a full day event, which will be a lot of fun.”

It is a free event and everyone is welcome to come and watch the outdoor action on the ice. It will start at noon with Timbits games. Six U7 teams will participate in the event and there will be three games from noon to 3 p.m.

The Innovation Credit Union U18 AAA Wildcats will be in attendance and team members will also be officiating the U7 games. The Wildcats will be doing an outdoor practise at the rink before the start of the U7 games from 10-11 a.m.

The adult SCNHL games will start at around 3:20 p.m. and the last puck drop will be at 6:30 p.m. The last game will be a great opportunity to experience an outdoor hockey game under the lights.

“The lights down at the Sheldon Kennedy rink are really, really good actually,” he said. “I went down there just to check. It gets dark super fast now, so we’ve to got to make sure they work good, and they’re fantastic.”

Six SCNHL teams will participate in the three games and winning teams will score points towards the regular league standings, which will ensure plenty of on-ice action.

“It is for fun, but it also counts towards league standings,” he said. “So teams are going to want to win, for sure.”

The Outdoor Classic will also offer food, drinks and entertainment to patrons. It will feature catering by Louie D’s and there will be a beverage garden with entertainment provided by local DJ company Half Peeled Beats. The beverage garden will open at 3 p.m. and last call will be at 10:30 p.m.

There will be a 50/50 ticket raffle in support of the fundraising event. Kouri expressed appreciation towards presenting sponsor Innovation Wealth for helping to make this event a reality.

According to Adrian the Healthcare Foundation’s fundraising campaign for a digital cell imaging system at Cypress Regional Hospital is part of a provincial effort by the Saskatchewan Health Authority to have this technology available at laboratories in regional hospitals.

The campaign goal is to raise $30,000 for the purchase of the digital cell imaging technology for the Cypress Regional Hospital. The laboratory currently performs manual blood smears to test for and diagnose medical conditions such as autoimmune diseases, anemia, leukemia, and other types of cancer.

“Right now, when the lab takes blood samples, they have to do a manual review of it,” she explained. “This machine will do that review for them. It will cut down that lead time by about 50 per cent.”

Tests that indicate signs of abnormalities are referred to the hematology department in Regina or Saskatoon for review. Currently the glass slides used for blood smears are transported to those locations and the process can take two to four days.

The digital cell imaging system will make it possible to connect remotely with the hospital in Regina or Saskatoon, which will reduce turnaround time for results by about 90 per cent.

“It will be viewed almost instantaneously by a specialist in Saskatoon or Regina,” she said. “So they’ll be able to get results back much, much faster.”

The Outdoor Classic will help the Healthcare Foundation to raise funds for the digital cell imaging system. Donations towards this campaign can also be made online through the Healthcare Foundation website (www.drirwinfoundation.com), in person during office hours or by mail.

Funding in support of healthcare services in southwest Saskatchewan received a booster shot with a large donation to the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation.

Foundation Executive Director Jim Dekowny announced a donation of $450,000 from the estate of Donna and Steve Kraus during a media event, Nov. 23.

He was joined for the announcement by Sheldon Kraus from Saskatoon, who represented the Kraus family.

“This bequest will push southwest Saskatchewan towards a higher level of healthcare excellence,” Dekowny said. “We are inspired and truly grateful for this remarkable gift. It is very clear that Donna and Steve believed in the importance of having quality healthcare available to all residents of Saskatchewan. Their generous gift to the Foundation will enable current and future generations access to high quality healthcare equipment close to home.”

He added that this bequest will magnify the Foundation’s mission to disburse funds to improve the quality and availability of healthcare for all residents in southwest Saskatchewan.

“As we move forward with the bequest, we want to ensure that the funds go towards the areas of greatest needs in southwest Saskatchewan and ensure that the Kraus family is properly honoured for each campaign we support and they support,” he said. “Currently we are working with our partners to determine which projects are most vital.”

Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation is one of three non-profit organizations in Saskatchewan that each received an amount of $450,000 from the estate of Donna and Steve Kraus. The other two beneficiaries are the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital and Telemiracle.

“When we finally settle the estate, there will be a little more coming to each charity, because we have at least some funds there to get things accomplished,” Sheldon Kraus said.

He shared some fond memories about the visits by his uncle and aunt with the family in Saskatchewan.

“While my uncle and aunt lived in Vancouver, they came out to Saskatchewan every couple of years to visit and they would stay with my parents,” he recalled. “My dad was two years younger than uncle Steve and he was very close to the two of them, and they would tell stories and laugh for hours.”

In return, Sheldon and other children in the family visited their uncle and aunt in later years when they were older.

“We always came to visit them when we got older and left home,” he mentioned. “My parents said you must come and visit. So that was a routine we had to do, and uncle Steve and aunt Donna were very, very good to us. They were very nice to us, and I guess we must have been nice to them. So that worked out very well.”

Donna and Steve both grew up in Saskatchewan. She was from Ernfold and he was from Wakaw. She went to Vancouver as a young woman to be with relatives and to find employment.

“She met Steve at a dance, and according to the people that I talked to about this, the two of them loved to dance,” Dekowny said. “They soon married and spent their entire working lives in Vancouver. They owned a construction business and worked together, while Donna also worked in the food service industry.”

They enjoyed travelling and for the last 20 years of their working lives they spent October to April in Yuma, Arizona. They moved back to Saskatchewan after their retirement to be closer to family. They both lived into their 90s. Steve passed away in January 2010 and Donna in June 2020.

Sheldon felt it was a great decision by his uncle and aunt to support healthcare in this manner through a bequest to the Healthcare Foundation.

“Uncle Steve and aunt Donna made a decision many years ago that they were going to give back to society and they didn’t have a family,” he said. “So they did make a bequest to a number, actually 23 people, and my aunt specified only those that are alive will receive it. So I think about 19 or 20 received a benefit and the rest was to go to charity and these specified three charities.”

Dekowny told the Prairie Post after the announcement this was one of the largest bequests ever received by the Healthcare Foundation. It came as a pleasant surprise when he opened the letter from the estate lawyers with details about the bequest.

“This is amazing,” he said. “When I opened that envelope up, I thought it was $45,000 and I’m like, that’s neat, and then I thought there’s a lot more zeroes here than that. So I was tickled pink. It was a great day, a great week for us, and it’s just a blessing that we can do good things in the southwest with this money.”

Source: Prairie Post 

By: Mathew Liebenberg

Kraus family friend and main estate executor Mary Hoffart joined Elizabeth and Sheldon Kraus in presenting a bequeath of $450,000 from the Steve and Donna Kraus Estate to the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation which was accepted by Foundation Executive Director Jim Dekowny.

The estate of Donna and Steve Kraus has made an impactful donation of $450,000 to the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation.

The donation, announced during a press conference at the Elmwood Golf Course Clubhouse on Tuesday, is the second largest bequeath made in Foundation history.

“This bequest will push Southwest Saskatchewan toward a higher level of healthcare excellence. We are inspired and truly grateful for this remarkable gift. It is very clear that Donna and Steve believed in the importance of having quality healthcare available to all residents of Saskatchewan,” Jim Dekowny, Executive Director of the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation said during the November 23 announcement. “Their generous gift to the Foundation will enable current and future generations access to high quality healthcare equipment close to home.”

Dekowny noted the the remarkable gift helps magnify the Foundation’s mission for healthcare in the Southwest.

“We want to ensure that the funds go to the areas of greatest needs in Southwest Saskatchewan, and ensure that the Kraus family is properly honoured in each campaign they support.”

The Foundation is currently working with their partners to best determine which projects are most vital and the best items to receive funding.

Sheldon Kraus from Saskatoon, the nephew of Donna and Steve Kraus, attended the donation announcement as the representative of the family.

“I think it’s great,” Sheldon Kraus said of the bequeath in support of healthcare. “Uncle Steve and Aunt Donna made a decision many years ago that they were going to give back to society.”

The couple married and spent their entire working lives in Vancouver where they owned and worked together at a constriction business, and she also worked in the food service industry. In retirement they moved back to Saskatchewan to be closer to family, living in Wakaw and Swift Current. Steve Kraus passed away in January of 2010, and Donna Kraus passed away on June 28, 2020 at the age of 95.

As per their wishes, the majority of their estate was directed to three charities, the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation, the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, and Telemiracle which will all be receiving $450,000.

“I think it’s great that they made that decision,” Sheldon Kraus said of his aunt and uncles generosity.

Source: Southwest Booster 

Author: Scott Anderson 

It was an exciting day for the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation, as they received the second-largest donation in the non-profit’s history on Tuesday afternoon.

Announced at an event held at the Elmwood Golf Club with members of their family in attendance, Jim Dekowny, Executive Director of the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation announced that they had received a bequeathment of $450,000 dollar from the estate of Donna and Steve Kraus.

The donation was part of a three-fold act, with another $450,000 dollars going towards the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital, and another $450,000 share going towards Telemiracle.

The Foundation is proud to announce an INCREDIBLE $450,000 donation from the Kraus Estate.

We are now working with our partners to find the greatest healthcare needs in Southwest Saskatchewan.#SupportLocalHealthcare #DonationStory pic.twitter.com/FedkNxGEGs

— Dr. Irwin Foundation (@DrIrwinFDN) November 24, 2021

Steve, who passed away in 2010, and Donna who passed in 2020, met in Vancouver after Mary had moved there for employment from her hometown of Ernfold. After retirement, they moved back to Saskatchewan, and eventually to Swift Current.

Sheldon Kraus, a nephew of Donna, made the journey from Saskatoon to be on hand for the announcement.

“Steve and Aunt Donna made a decision many years ago that they were going to give back to society. They didn’t have a family, so they did make a bequeathment to 23 people. And my aunt specified that only those who are alive will receive them. The rest was to go to charity.”

According to Dekowny, while the money does not have a particular home just yet, he felt it’s of utmost importance to ensure that the money gets spent on not only the projects that would do the most good but projects that could properly honour the significance of the Kraus’s generosity.

“This bequest will push southwest Saskatchewan towards a higher level of healthcare excellence. As we move forward with the bequest we want to ensure that the funds go towards the areas of greatest needs in southwest Saskatchewan and the Kraus family is properly honoured for each campaign we support. Currently, we are working with our partners to determine which projects are most vital.”

Source: Swift Current Online

Written by Paul Figueiredo

Since January, the Dr. Noble Irwin Foundation has partnered with Cabri in efforts to raise $250,000 to purchase a new digital x-ray machine.

Cabri’s current machine is film-based causing them to wait much longer for the film to develop to view scans, it is quite outdated compared to the digital machines.

They also resort to sending patients to Swift Current if they know they will need a high-quality x-ray.

Recently, the Innovation Credit Union’s Community Legacy Fund Program has granted the fundraiser $5,000, raising their total to $175,000 which is quite near their goal.

“We’re always so grateful for any amount of money that we can get towards this campaign,” says Dr. Noble Irwin’s Communications and Development Coordinator, Sara Adrian. “Every amount counts. We’re so grateful that Innovation is even just bringing more light to our campaign, letting more people know that it’s happening and that they can donate.”

The money will not only go towards a digital x-ray machine but also an updated room to accommodate the new technology. All of which will be placed at the Prairie Public Health Care Centre.

The fundraiser hopes to have their goal met before the end of the 2021 year, but are focused on meeting their goal more than the time it’s met by.

Source: Swift Current Online

Written by Ruby Zummack

Photo by David Zammit

After 22-hours on the Golden West Broadcasting’s airwaves the past couple of days, the Dr. Noble Irwin Pharmasave Radiothon for Healthcare has surpassed their goal netting $158,150 in the 13th installment of the annual event.

The non-profit organization had a two-day goal to raise $150,000 and with some final hour donations raced past that target, more than doubling day one’s total of $72,430.

Countless businesses and residents contributed to the final total, something that Jim Dekowny, the executive director of the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation, was very grateful for.

“The biggest part is, is the donors,” he said. “It’s not just Swift Current, it’s the southwest, it’s from up to Leader over to Maple Creek down to Climax over to Herbert. We have donors… and they stepped up pretty good and we’ve had a good couple days so it’s been good.”

With a multitude of non-profits in southwestern Saskatchewan, Dekowny said it’s great the healthcare foundation is able to grab a sliver of the pie.

“There’s so many good organizations in the southwest and we just want to do our best, so that when that something like this happens and somebody comes and hears and goes ‘ya they do a good job, so let’s throw some money at them’,” he said. “That’s kudos to my team… and kudo to what we do, to make sure that we’re visible to make sure that when you’re thinking of donating it’s to the Dr. Noble Irwin Foundation.”

The funds from this year’s event will be used to buy a new telemetry system, something that’s in urgent need for the Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current.

“It’s very important to the care we provide to patients,” Dr. Kevin Wasko said on Thursday evening. “I work in the emergency department ICU area of the hospital where all of those telemetry units are kept track of by the nursing 24/7 and it monitors people that may be at any point in the hospital. It monitors their heart rate and vital signs.”

Source: Swift Current Online 

Written by David Zammit

Winnipeg – October 18, 2021 – G3 is supporting health care around its new Swift Current grain elevator through a major charitable donation.

G3 is donating $10,000 to the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation, which raises money to fund health care facilities in Southwest Saskatchewan.

Due to the pandemic, G3 was unable to hold a grand opening event for G3 Swift Current when it opened this past summer. It was decided to donate the funds from that event to the Dr. Noble Irwin Foundation.

“G3 is proud to be part of the community in and around Swift Current,” says G3 CEO Don Chapman. “We’re pleased these funds can be directed to an important cause like funding health care services and facilities for our families, neighbours and customers.”

“The Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation is thrilled to accept a $10,000 donation from Swift Current’s newest grain elevator G3. The funds will be going towards a community match to kick-off the 2021 Pharmasave Radiothon for Healthcare,” says Jim Dekowny, Executive Director of the Foundation. “Thank you to G3 for helping keep healthcare strong in Southwest Saskatchewan it is greatly appreciated and has shown their commitment to supporting Swift Current & Southwest Saskatchewan.”

G3’s donation will be used to match donations from the community during the October 28 & 29 radiothon to raise funds to purchase a new Telemetry System for the Cypress Regional Hospital.

Photo caption: Jim Dekowny, Executive Director of the Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation (R) accepts the donation from G3 Swift Current General Manager Rick Spetz (L).

About G3
G3 was created with the vision of building a smarter path from farmers’ fields to global markets. Today, G3 is transforming the way grain moves with an expanding network of facilities that set new standards for fast, safe and reliable operations. We focus on efficiency to create opportunity for our customers across Canada and around the world. G3 Terminal Vancouver, a state-of-the art export facility, is adding more speed and efficiency to our grain supply chain. G3 is a Canadian company, and is headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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