Kim Barraclough
Northern News Services

NNSL (July 23/99) - The Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation's "Together for a Healthy North" campaign has now definitely exceeded its goal.

The foundation's final goal was to raise $2 million and they ended $2.3 million, to purchase seven pieces of critical care equipment.

Shoppers Drug Mart was the first corporation to make a donation at the benefactor level.

"I'm just thrilled," said Sue Glowach, executive director of the Stanton Regional Hospital Foundation.

Shoppers Drug Mart will go down as the first corporation to contribute $100,000 to the foundation.

"I think it's important that a corporation invests back into the community that they do business in," said Glowach.

Daryl Dolymmy, pharmacist and owner of the Yellowknife Shoppers Drug Mart, said he is happy with his companies contribution to the foundation.

"This is a milestone for any owner."

Dolymmy hopes that other corporations will see the contribution Shoppers has made to the foundation and follow suit by hiking up their own donations.

Dolymmy also added that he plans to keep Shoppers involved with Stanton.

"I hope I act as a catalyst," said Dolymmy

Leaha Bednar, a controller for Shoppers Drug Mart, is pleased with the donation as well.

"I think it's fantastic -- we're very excited to be involved with this," said Bednar.

She said this is the first donation of it's sort that Shoppers Drug Mart has made to a Northern community.

The foundation was started to raise funds to buy seven new pieces of equipment for the hospital such as a mammography machine an a CAT Scan machine.

A ceremony was held last October where David Bloom, Shoppers Drug Mart Chairman, came to Yellowknife from toronto to present the campaign chairman, Cappy Elkin, with the five instalment cheques towards Shoppers original donation of $75,000.

Bloom was inspired by the visit and decided to increase the corporate pledge to $95,000. The final $5,000 was donated by the people of yellowknife.

They did this by purchasing "Life" brand products at Shoppers Drug Mart during the store's "Life for Life" program which directed a portion of the sales of selected "Life" brand products to the foundations campaign.