Regional Rotary Clubs banded together to provide a $22,000 donation to a local volunteer medical transport service that takes patients to specialist appointments in the Okanagan.
Brent Bidston, president of Angel Flight East Kootenay, accepted the cheques that were presented by representatives from Rotary Clubs in Cranbrook (Rotary Club of Cranbrook and Rotary Club of Cranbrook Sunrise), Kimberley, Invermere and Fernie, which donated proceeds from Rotary Online Bingo collected over the year.
The donation will go towards Angel Flight East Kootenay operations, which remain ongoing between East Kootenay communities and Okanagan hospital facilities in spite of challenges posed by COVID-19.
“The donations have been fantastic, right from the day we started, and happily they’ve continued,” said Bidston. “as long as these donations keep coming in, we’ll will continue serving the community.”
Founded by Bidston and Todd Wesalake, Angel Flight East Kootenay provides transport services to patients to and from hospital in Kelowna free of charge.
“It will go directly towards assisting residents of the East Kootenay,” Bidston added. “We are locally based, we only serve the local community and this money will go to the benefit of residents of the East Kootenay.”