2012 GoodHearts Dinner - Recap

2012 GoodHearts Dinner - Visit our Facebook page
for more photographs of the evening.

We held our 2012 GoodHearts Dinner this past Saturday on October 13, 2012 at the Mayfield Inn. Thank you to all the GoodHearts members, friends and family who were able to join us for the dinner. It was a great success and we could not have done it without you.

Our president, Jackie Foord, was Master of Ceremonies for the evening and presented on a number of items. She introduced current board members present for the evening (Silvio Dobri, Maggie Baczynski, Jenn Card, and Helen Klimo), current board members unable to be there (Barb Foxall and Josh Eberhart) and past board members present (Linda Figgures, Sister Patricia and Ron Kube). As well, a moment of silence was held for Kevin Fankhanel, a board member whom we lost this year.

Jackie gave the following quick summary regarding what GoodHearts has been up to this year:

GoodHearts has been busy the past year.  We continue to supply food and gas vouchers for those in need in the various transplant programs.  We also provide Medic Alert bracelets for those who have had a transplant.  However this year we have shifted our efforts substantially to focus on providing subsidized short-term housing for people living with transplants.  Most of us in this room know that there are times when transplant patients need to be in or very close to the university hospital.  Sometimes it is for regular treatments; sometimes it’s an unpredicted complication.  For those who do not live in Edmonton, there aren’t many affordable options for longer term stays. That’s where GoodHearts comes in.

In July 2011 we rented a single condominium on the south side.  We subleased the condo to transplant recipients and their caregivers.  GoodHearts pays the full rent and in turn we charge our tenants a lower rental rate.  When the lease on the condo ended in July of this year, we began renting two apartments at the Galen Lofts. Both were occupied the first day.

See the entire presentation on
our Facebook page.

A slide show presentation entitled "GoodHearts Housing at the Galen Lofts" was shown at the dinner summarizing the GoodHearts Transplant Housing program at Galen Lofts with photos of the suites. Please visit our Facebook page to view the entire presentation or visit the Galen Lofts website for more information on the building and rental opportunities.

Other highlights included board member Maggie Baczynski presenting the first ever recipient of the Dr. Dennis Modry Bursary to Ashley Peregrym, a nursing student at the University of Alberta and board member Jenn Card reading two testimonials from patients who had stayed in the GoodHearts transplant housing.  Read more about the Dr. Dennis Modry Bursary and Ashley, the testimonial from Liz & Bob or the testimonial from Faith.

Please visit our Facebook page to view more photos of the event in the 2012 GoodHearts Dinner Photo Album.