10th RED FM radiothon raises $715,000 for Surrey Memorial Hospital

SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov. 15, 2016) - Metro Vancouver's South Asian community celebrated the 10th year of the RED FM Gurupurab Radiothon by donating $715,000 to expand the Kidney Centre at Surrey Memorial Hospital.

Donors called the phone lines or visited the 93.1 RED FM station in Surrey to make their donations to honour the birthday of Guru Nanak. As RED FM organizes the radiothon and donates the airtime, all the funds raised will go to Surrey Hospital & Outpatient Centre Foundation to increase the capacity of the hospital's busy kidney centre, which will be named the Dukh Bhanjan Kidney Centre.

Long time radiothon supporters Raghbir and Manjit Atwal, owners of Atwal's Insurance and Financial Centre, made a special contribution in honour of the 10th year of the radiothon. The Atwals' $100,000 donation is the largest in the history of this successful fundraising event.

"We believe that it is not money alone that can help people - it is how you put the money to use," says Raghbir Atwal. "When we donate to the hospital, we know that the money is in good hands and it will be used to help others in the community."

At Surrey Memorial, more than $5 million in radiothon donations have already made a difference in the Emergency Department, the Family Birthing Centre and the Stroke Unit, according to Jane Adams, president of Surrey Hospital & Outpatient Centre Foundation.

"Since 2007, we've used the radiothon donations to transform some of the busiest areas at Surrey Memorial, so that thousands of patients and families benefit from the generosity of the South Asian community every year," she says. "Our thanks to everyone who supported the 10th radiothon, and to RED FM for creating this inspired tradition of giving."

RED FM President Kulwinder Sanghera is grateful to the community for their outstanding support.

"In the past 10 years, we have been organizing radiothons every year. Whether it is for a local cause or for an international tragedy, the South Asian community always steps forward to make enormous contributions. On behalf of RED FM, I would like to thank our community for their exemplary generosity," Sanghera says.

Here's how to donate

There's still time to make your donation. Visit the Surrey Hospital & Outpatient Centre Foundation website www.championsforcare.com to give online, or call 604-588-3371.