The estate of a late Port Alberni resident has donated more than $1.3 million to three different local charities.

Deanna Marilyn Horton (ne茅 Fox) was born Sept. 30, 1937 in Port Alberni and died Sept. 8, 2019. She was a well-known volunteer for many events in the Alberni Valley, and she worked for Island Health at the old hospital site until her retirement.

After her death, her estate arranged for a donation of $1,350,000 to be split between three charities. The West Coast General Hospital (WCGH) Foundation, the Alberni Valley Hospice Society and the Alberni-Clayoquot SPCA branch will be receiving $450,000 each from HortonB次元官网网址檚 estate.

Chris Francey, business director for the WCGH Foundation, said that the donation pushed the foundationB次元官网网址檚 fundraiser for the emergency department expansion over its goal of $2 million. As a thank you, several areas in the department will be named after Horton.

B次元官网网址淚t was a very good gift,B次元官网网址� said Francey.

Teresa Ludvigson of the Alberni Valley Hospice Society agreed. She said the society has lost nearly $300,000 of event revenue over the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

B次元官网网址淚t was a really big blessing for us,B次元官网网址� said Ludvigson.

Part of the funding will go towards the creation of a new child and youth grief and bereavement program. The Hospice Society originally planned to launch this program in 2020, but it was interrupted by COVID-19. The new funding will go towards furniture, program equipment and supplies and wages for a coordinator.

The program will provide one-on-one counselling and small peer support groups for children and youth in the Alberni Valley. It is new to the Alberni Valley Hospice Society, but Ludvigson says it was needed.

B次元官网网址淚n the last two years, things have really changed,B次元官网网址� said Ludvigson. B次元官网网址淔or the first time, we have a wait list for grief and bereavement. People havenB次元官网网址檛 really been able to grieve the way they normally would. COVID has impacted all of us.B次元官网网址�

Other funding will go towards supplies, staff training and upgrades at Ty Watson House, including roof and gutter repairs.

B次元官网网址淥perationally, weB次元官网网址檙e making it safer, warmer and more comfortable,B次元官网网址� said Ludvigson.

The SPCA, meanwhile, has plans to expand its services, including the construction of a new building in the near future.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a plan weB次元官网网址檝e been working on for a while,B次元官网网址� said branch manager Sam Sattar. B次元官网网址淭his [donation] tipped us over to get the ball rolling.B次元官网网址�

All of the funding will be staying with the Alberni-Clayoquot branch, said Sattar. Some of it will be going towards the SPCAB次元官网网址檚 medical budget, which is largely funded by donations.

B次元官网网址淕ifts of generosity like this are very humbling,B次元官网网址� said Sattar.

elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
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