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On Wednesday morning, the KGH Foundation announced an $8 million fundraising campaign to build short-term housing for families of patients receiving medical care in Kelowna.
The campaign, Better Together, already has half of the funds required to build JoeAnna's House.
The short-term housing project is named after the late Joe and Anna Huber by their family members who have put $1 million towards the construction of the house.
KelownaNow was on-site at the unveiling of the campaign. Among the speakers were, Doug Rankmore, CEO of KGH Foundation; Lisa Dear, a mom of Creston who emphasized the need for out-of-town housing; Terry Schneider, representative of the Huber family; and Mayor Colin Basran.
According to the KGH Foundation, one in four beds at KGH is occupied by a an out-of-town patient.
About 743,501 residents in B.C. are referred to KGH.
Out of 400 hospital beds, 25% are used for patients from outside the Central Okanagan.
Mayor Colin Basran talked about the importance of the project.
"Kelowna is a caring community that always pulls together in difficult times," he said.
The Better Together Campaign has received donations from the Huber family, the Prestige Hotel, as well as other private donors.
According to Doug Rankmore, CEO of KGH Foundation, JoeAnna's House will provide 20 rooms for 20 families while their loved ones receive medical care.
Families can stay as long as needed. The house will be equipped with a communal kitchen and dining room, laundry services, a games rooms for the siblings, including a crafts and movie room.
The unveiling took place at the site of the location, just behind the Emergency Centre at KGH.
Construction is expected to begin October 2018 and should be completed by the fall of 2019.
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