The Conconi Family Foundation has committed $500,000 to support COVID-19 response funds launched by St. Paul’s Foundation and VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation to support front line health care at their respective hospitals.
“VGH & UBC Foundation and St. Paul’s Foundation support thousands of health care professionals, who serve hundreds of thousands of people across BC,” says Robert Conconi. “St. Paul’s Hospital and Vancouver General Hospital are provincial leaders in health care and are also deeply rooted in the local health care system and their reach far exceeds the hospital walls.”
The family is inviting the public to match their gift by making donations to the COVID-19 response funds at either St. Paul’s Foundation or VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, emphasizing that every donation – no matter the amount – will be important in this unprecedented time for our health care system. Matched donations can be made at vghfoundation.ca/covid-19-response or donate.helpstpauls.com.
“BC’s health care heroes, the doctors, nurses and other support workers in the hospital and in our community, along with our first responders, are helping the most vulnerable and those in greatest need. They do so now in this global pandemic despite the anxiety they are experiencing and the fear of potential infection,” says Angela Chapman, President & CEO of VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation. “We want to make sure we provide them with what they need to remain safe and supported. Our hospital foundations’ have launched COVID-19 Response Funds to provide for the needs of those on the frontlines of this pandemic.”
“We applaud the Conconi family’s leadership galvanizing Vancouver’s giving community around this health crisis,” says Dick Vollet, President and CEO, St. Paul’s Foundation. “Every donation – no matter how large or small – to the COVID-19 Response Fund will support our frontline health care workers to provide the very best care possible at this time.”
COVID-19 disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations – the frail and elderly. This means hospital Emergency Departments, ICUs, and acute medical units for the severely unwell are at the front line.
“For several years now the Conconi Family Foundation has been immersed in research and planning to best support BC seniors,” says Victoria Conconi, Robert and Diane’s daughter and local nurse. “COVID 19 was not something we planned to address but we cannot ignore the fact this outbreak poses an elevated and significant risk to the physical, mental and emotional health of not only seniors, but to all of us.”
The Conconi family joins thousands of others across the province in acknowledging the hard work and sacrifices being made by health care workers around the world.
Our healthcare workers are on the front lines putting themselves at risk to care for our loved ones and save lives. Let’s acknowledge their extraordinary courage and rally together to support their safety, accelerate research and treatment options and help ease the overall strain on our healthcare system. Let’s honour their #CovidCourageYVR
To donate, please visit our COVID-19 response donation page, or vghfoundation.ca/covid-19-response