Record-breaking donation from Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival

Photo: Celebrating the Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival donation from left to right are PRHC general surgeon Dr. Brie Banks, President & CEO of Kawartha Credit Union Norah McCarthy, President & CEO of the PRHC Foundation Lesley Heighway, and Festival Chair Michelle Thornton. Behind them, Festival participants and supporters raise their paddles to show off the record-breaking amount of the 2024 donation.

On October 9th, the PRHC Foundation proudly hosted this year’s Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival gift announcement. Together, the Festival’s host team, Survivors Abreast, the Dragon Boat Festival Planning Committee, Platinum Sponsor Kawartha Credit Union, paddlers, volunteers, and supporters, presented the Foundation with a record-breaking donation of $312,025.18 – the largest single gift in the Festival’s history!

This remarkable achievement underscores the power of the community coming together to support world-class cancer care at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC). PRHC Foundation President & CEO, Lesley Heighway, expressed deep gratitude for the Festival’s continued dedication to advancing cancer care in our region. Dr. Brie Banks, PRHC general surgeon, also shared her appreciation, highlighting the life-changing impact this donation will have on her patients by bringing breast seed localization technology to the hospital.

The 2024 Festival’s extraordinary success reflects the incredible passion and commitment of organizers, paddlers, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and vendors. Their collective efforts are transforming cancer care for the thousands of patients who rely on PRHC.

As part of the Campaign for PRHC, this donation will allow the Health Centre to continue investing in critical advancements in cancer care technology like digital pathology and breast seed localization, empowering PRHC to reimagine the future of health and care for our region.

WATCH: Together, we’re reimagining health and care at our hospital

The $60 million Campaign for PRHC is the largest fundraising campaign in Peterborough Regional Health Centre’s and the PRHC Foundation’s history. Our community’s support of the campaign reflects our shared belief that we can’t afford to let the standard of care we’ve all helped establish slip away. Together, we’re reimagining health and care at our hospital by:

  • Empowering world-class care close to home
  • Fuelling innovation and introducing new lifesaving services to our region
  • Attracting top healthcare professionals
  • Inspiring and supporting solutions to critical hospital challenges

Watch the video to hear more!