GREAT FALLS — On the morning of June 25th, the Benefis South Tower in Great Falls will be bustling with activity as a special fundraiser takes place to support renovations for the Gift Of Life patient housing program.
“We're going to be supporting renovations at our free patient housing Gift of Life,” said Jamie Wood, Development Director at the Benefis Foundation. “It started back in 1992 at our West Campus facility before the hospitals even merged, and we just opened another facility in 2006 here on East Campus. After so many years of hard use, because we are full on a regular basis, both facilities are in need of some upgrades and maintenance so that we can make sure rooms are open and available. We do give preference to our families who have a child here in the NICU or cancer patients who are coming here for treatment.”
The event, known as "Dunking for Dollars," was inspired by an intern at the Foundation.
“Dunking for Dollars is a concept that we came up with last year with our summer intern, Keira Richards, and it has blossomed this year to include our providers and several leaders from here at the health system,” Wood explained. “It’s an opportunity for the community, for employees, for anyone to come out and dunk their favorite provider or maybe their favorite coworker.”
Keira said, “As an intern, she wanted me to feel included and also kind of get a feel of how Benefis operates and how we provide for our patients and the people of Great Falls. And so then we kind of went back to the dunk tank, and that's where Dunk Attack came alive. We ended up raising over $7,000, almost $8,000.”
The event will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and then again from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
“Folks can join us right here on the east campus of Benefis Health System just outside of the South Tower doors on the lawn,” Wood said. “You'll see all the food trucks and the dunk tank, and we would welcome as many people as possible to come join us for a fun time.”
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Richards added, “Knowing that this event, which was just a thought and was something that could be, is now a big thing and is going to help so many people, is really just fulfilling.”
For those unable to attend in person, donations can also be made online. For more information, check out the Benefis Foundation website.
“Bringing a lot of joy and happiness, knowing that so many lives are being changed and being helped out in good ways,” Richards concluded.
For more information, click here for the Facebook event page.
From August 2023:
