Save-On-Foods Cranbrook is giving back to the community this holiday season, funding a few local causes.
Warm Embrace Campaign
Cranbrook and Kimberley Save-On-Foods have donated $7,400 to the East Kootenay Foundation for Health for its Warm Embrace Campaign to build a neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) at East Kootenay Regional Hospital.
The foundation announced that it had met its fundraising goal of $1.6 million earlier this month, but the Save-On-Foods donation will add extra money to the pot.
"Our community really stepped up. It's really blown me out of the water," said foundation executive director Brenna Baker. "We deserve good proper health care. This NICU is really a step in the right direction."
The foundation has been working diligently to raise money for the NICU since it officially launched the campaign in November 2023.
Save-On-Foods gathered funds through a two-week campaign at its branches in Cranbrook and Kimberley, that culminated with the Cranbrook store's 100th anniversary party on Nov. 5. Party activities like Spin the Wheel raised 20 per cent of the money.
Baker said construction on the NICU will begin in March and take roughly a year to complete. The NICU will be added on the maternity ward on the second floor of the hospital, allowing premature infants to be cared for locally rather than being flown to Kelowna to get proper medical supervision.
"Right now, babies that are premature, even if they're healthy, they're still airlifted because if something goes wrong after they're born, we don't have the equipment here or the trained staff to deal properly with NICU babies," she explained. "It's going to save a lot of those babies."
Baker added that infants with severe medical conditions like heart or breathing problems will still need to be sent to Kelowna, but those in stable condition will be able to stay here. She estimates that up to 50 per cent of premature infants will get the care they need locally.
Kraft Heinz Groceries For Good Contest
Kraft has donated $1,000 to Cranbrook Foodbank Society, in recognition of Cranbrook and Kimberley Save-On-Foods being ranked among 10 Canadian branches with the highest year-over-year unit sales growth on participating products.
Save-On-Foods branches in Cranbrook, Kimberley, Golden, Camrose, west Lethbridge, Naskup, Station Square, Mount Royal, Hampton, and 50 St. Market sold the most Kraft products in a year.
The food bank has used the donation to purchase 100 cases of Kraft Dinner to help feed hungry people during the holiday season.
"When they called, we had literally put out our last box of Kraft Dinner," said food bank operations manager Julie Rose. "We always say there is this protective bubble over the food bank. The community always provides. We are so lucky and fortunate."
Rose said Kraft Dinner is in high demand at the food bank.
"It's one of those really versatile items. You can pair a box of Kraft Dinner with a can of cream of mushroom soup, a can of tuna and a can of mixed vegetables, and all of a sudden you have a really simple tuna casserole."
"It's one of those items we always like to have on hand and it's a really great one because we can add all sorts of add-ins to it," she explained.
