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Lions Clubs donate generous gift to local hospital to help Langley breathe easy

A $56,000 donation is the largest the hospital has received from the Lions Club

Langley can breathe easy thanks to a generous donation made by local Lions Clubs .

Three Lions Clubs (Fort Langley, Langley and Aldergrove) were all on site at the Langley Memorial Hospital Thursday afternoon to donate $56,000 to the respiratory therapy department to purchase a new ventilator.

This is the largest donation the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation has received from the Lions Club.

The hospital has been working to replace its inventory of five ventilators that have all passed their life expectancy, said Lisa Rosales, a major gifts officer with Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation.

“It’s really fantastic to have the community support the hospital,” she said. “The equipment in the hospital is aging, it’s outdated and we need to bridge the gap between government support and the needs of the hospital.

“So having community groups like the Lions Club is really essential for us to be able to help patients.”

READ MORE: New ER taking shape at Langley Memorial

The recommended life of a ventilator is about 10 years, but the equipment at the Langley hospital is now pushing 12 years, explained Gaurav Kumar, a respiratory practice lead at the hospital.

“They still function, but the breakdown is more, the repair is more, so we end up spending more money on them… so thank you for giving us one,” he said.

A ventilator is a life-saving machine, Kumar explained. The machine helps a patient breathe.

The local clubs contributed $28,000 and received a matching grant from the Lions Club International Foundation. With these funds the hospital is now set to replace a third ventilator.

READ MORE: The Lions received their charter in Langley Prairie on June 12, 1944

The Langley Lions Club have been serving the community since 1944, according to its website.

Lions Clubs were organized to give back and serve the community, said Patty Allan-White, Lions district governor.

“We are a family of Lions and it’s fun to watch them all come together and work together,” she added.

The local clubs raise money primarily through community hall rentals, but they also host other fundraising events to benefit Langley.

An event that has grown in popularity since its inception two years ago is the monthly $6 spaghetti dinner hosted on the last Friday of each month at the Fort Langley Hall. The fundraiser draws up to 190 people.

Clubs also organize fundraisers like a Burger and Brew and Christmas Kettle Drive.


@JotiGrewal_
joti.grewal@blackpress.ca

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The Lions Club donated $56,000 to the Langley Memorial Hospital Foundation to purchase a new ventilator. (Joti Grewal/Langley Advance Times)