Charity Night raises funds for cancer patients
14 October 2008
Western District Health Service has welcomed the arrival of a new Welch Allyn Monitor for the Chemotherapy Unit, purchased with funds raised from a charity night organised by the Cancer and Breast Cancer Support Groups.
The charity night raised an outstanding total of $13,500 for the Chemotherapy Unit, and will ensure the monitor is available to examine pulse oxygen saturation, blood pressure and temperature in patients. 
The charity event was organised by Cancer Support Group members Don and Lois Collins, with a band of helpers from both the Cancer and Breast Cancer Support Groups.
The charity night, featured guest speaker John McKay talking about pioneer families of the Western District.
The group members were invited to the WDHS Chemotherapy Unit to see what their fundraising efforts had achieved. Along with the purchase of the Welch Allyn Monitor, the remaining funds will be used to purchase new televisions, an ice machine and new scales for the unit and furnishings for the Palliative Care rooms located in the Medical Unit.
WDHS Chief Executive Officer Jim Fletcher praised the efforts of the Support Groups and those who attended or donated to the Charity Night.
“It is outstanding to receive such great support from members of our community, who have given their time and enthusiasm generously to help others in need. This level of community support enables the Health Service to provide a much broader range of well-equipped quality services,” he said.
ABOVE: Cancer and Breast Cancer Support Group members look on as Western District Health Service acting medical unit manager Leanne Deutscher (L) and Chemotherapy Unit Nurse Rowena Farquharson (R) check the blood pressure of WDHS CEO Jim Fletcher.