Kelowna Nordic Club to host fundraiser for advanced stroke care at Kelowna General Hospital

If you’re looking to get outside, get some exercise and help raise much-needed funds for stroke care at Kelowna General Hospital, the Kelowna Nordic Club has an upcoming event that meets all those parameters.

Next month, the club will be hosting ‘Stride and Glide,’ a snowshoeing and cross-country skiing event that’s not only healthy, but also doubles as a fundraiser.

“It’s a virtual fundraiser. People come up here they snowshoe or cross-country ski at their own leisure,” said Lyle Nicholson, spokesperson for the Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club.

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There’s a $10 registration fee and people are being asked to raise funds on their own as well.

According to Nicholson, when it comes to achieving the fundraising goal, the club is right on track

“Our goal is to raise $20,000. So far, we are at $15,000,” Nicholson said.

Kelowna Nordic credits a $5,000 donation Nicola Wealth Management for kickstarting the campaign.

All funds raised will go to the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, in order to help centralize stroke care in B.C.’s Southern Interior.

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“In 2019, there were over 8,000 reported cases of stokes in B.C.,” said Bettina Muller, event and projects manager for the KGH Foundation.

The KGH Foundation is currently in the midst of an $8-million funding campaign to help finance an advanced stroke care unit at KGH.

“The funds will support advanced equipment, such as EVT and clinical space,” Muller said.

EVT stands for endovascular treatment, a procedure that uses a stroke patient’s veins as a subway in order to remove a blood clot that is blocking brain function.

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“What we need is a brand-new angiographic suite; basically the top-of-the-line Ferrari, so to speak,” Dr. Nevin de Korompay told Global News.

A radiologist at KGH, de Korompay says every second counts when it comes to stroke patients.

“We want to make sure we can treat them as quickly and as effectively as possible,” said de Korompay, “and this new equipment will allow us to treat them as well as any center in North America.”

Stride and Glide runs from Feb. 14-21, and if you would like more information, the KGH foundation will be on hand on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Kelowna Nordic Ski and Snowshoe Club.