THUNDER BAY — Patient care at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will benefit from donations from the Royal Canadian Legion Slovak Branch 129.
The Slovak branch has made two donations to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation through the Thunder Bay legions' south-side poppy fund.
One contribution of $10,000 goes toward the purchase of new equipment to replace one of the hospital's two cardiac catheterization labs that are used both for angiograms and angioplasties.
A similar donation to the the hospital's Lions Vision Care Centre supports the replacement of a surgical microscope with a new unit used in ophthalmic surgeries such as cataract removal.
In announcing the contributions, Jeanetty Jumah, co-coordinator of the south-side poppy fund, said the hospital does a wonderful job in the Thunder Bay area, and for Northwestern Ontario, "but more importantly many of our veterans are getting quite old, the ones who have fought in many of the wars."
"Then, we have our younger veterans, and they need the services of the Thunder Bay regional hospital. They have been trying so hard to build a hospital that can meet the needs of our senior and young veterans in our community, mental health and all of these areas."
Jumah said the branch executive decided its poppy fund should go to the hospital this year, and that the legion hopes to raise more in the current poppy campaign so it can help the hospital even more in the future.
The Slovak Legion Branch 129 will hold a Remembrance Day ceremony at the branch on Atlantic Avenue in the main hall starting at 10:30 a.m.
Other services in Thunder Bay will take place at Waverley Park, Fort William Gardens, and Fort William First Nation.
