Media Releases

Media Release
November 3, 2005

Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance Announces $200,000 Endowment Fund

CHATHAM-KENT: Two major donors combined their efforts to create the first endowment fund for the Foundation of Chatham-Kent Heath Alliance.

This evening, the Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance announced that two major donors have created the first endowment fund for the Foundation. Mr. Andy Faas, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Development & Human Resources, Shoppers Drug Mart, generously donated $100,000, and honoured his parents by naming the fund, “The Casper & Wilma Faas Family Fund.”. Shoppers Drug Mart has matched Mr. Faas’ gift with a donation of $100,000 to go into the fund. The unveiling of this new initiative took place at the Foundation’s Donor Appreciation Event, Thursday November 3rd, 2005 at 7:00 pm in the Café Grand at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance’s Grand Ave. Campus.

Mr. Faas said, “I believe it is essential that individuals support institutions such as CKHA in their great work. What has been developed by the Alliance is exceptional, and the community should be very proud. My family has benefited greatly by having settled here, and this gift is a small way of showing appreciation for this.”

Endowment is a fund that is held in trust and only the income generated is used to provide a perpetual stream of support for important projects, medical equipment, and Foundation operations, as determined by the Board of Director of the Foundation.

This fund will continue to grow as donors can direct their gifts to this fund.

Mr. Paul Matteis, Vice- President, Ontario Operations, Shoppers Drug Mart added, “Shoppers Drug Mart's gift to the Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance not only demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement of community health care, but also provides us an opportunity to give something back to the community in which we serve."

The donor appreciation event also included the introduction of several new physicians who have recently joined our medical community. Dr. Gary Tithecott introduced each of the following new physicians: Dr. Chris Anjema, Ophthalmologist; Dr. Jason Denys, Family Practice; Dr. Kim Moore, Family Practice; Dr. Joel D’Hue, Otolaryngologist (ear, nose, throat specialist);
Dr. Sumita Parambil, Family Medicine/ER; Dr. Tahera Kapasi, Anaesthetist;
Dr.s’ Arun Bhardwaj and Dr. Divya Bhardwaj, both Anaesthetists.

As part of the Foundation’s on-going Donor Recognition Program, storyboards of donors that have supported the Alliance with gifts of $100,000 or more were unveiled. Those donors included: CIBC, Sharon & Uffe Blok-Andersen, Estate of Wes Robinson, Bill & Mary Dorssers, The District A-1 Lions, Lioness, and Leos, Shoppers Drug Mart, and the Casper & Wilma Faas Family Fund. These storyboards will be displayed at both the Chatham and Wallaceburg campuses of the Alliance.

Michele Grzebien, Executive Director of the Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance shared, “The Foundation is very fortunate to have such generous donors who realize the importance of quality healthcare in the community and we are grateful for their continued support. We are humbled by their kindness and also extremely pleased to have secured these generous gifts to ensure long term funding and sustainability of the Foundation.”

The Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is a registered charity. Its primary purpose is to enhance the quality of health care available to the citizens of Chatham-Kent by raising funds and other resources in support of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.

For more information contact:
Michele Grzebien, Executive Director
Foundation of Chatham-Kent Health Alliance
380-2859