Rose of Hope Golf Tournament event chair Sherri McCullough likes to tell the people who are taking part in the major fundraiser that they are doing more than playing golf. They are saving lives.
“It’s more than just having fun – we are doing really important work,” says Sherri.
These golfers are saving lives by raising money to help Kingston Health Sciences Centre’s (KHSC) Breast Imaging Kingston (BIK) facility purchase a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine, an important tool to diagnosis breast cancer.
The Kingston community is one step closer to dramatically improving cancer and patient care in the region following this year’s tournament which raised an amazing $400,000.
“I am absolutely thrilled,” says Sherri. “Raising $400,000 in one day is remarkable. We have such generous people, donors and sponsors in our community who support us year after year. Almost everybody knows somebody – a family member or friend or they themselves – who has been impacted by breast cancer.”
The 26th annual tournament took place on July 30 at the Cataraqui Golf and Country Club and attracted 148 golfers.
Rose of Hope organizers made a pledge to raise $1 million over five years for the MRI machine. Thanks to the incredible support, they hit that target in only three years. The 2023 event raised $387,000.
The $1 million raised is great news for Nate Tompkins, KHSC’s Program Operational Director for Medical Imaging, and one of several hospital officials leading the charge to purchase the new MRI machine, which has an expected price tag of $6 million, which also includes construction costs.
“I’d like to thank Rose of Hope organizers and participants for their amazing support,” says Nate. “A new MRI machine at our state-of-the-art BIK facility will be a huge step forward in our efforts to provide the highest quality of care to our patients.”
There are just under 5,000 patients waiting for an MRI appointment at KHSC, and currently, 2,500 breast MRI scans are performed every year. Those 2,500 exams will eventually shift over to BIK when the new MRI machine is purchased and installed.
MRIs play a crucial role in detecting breast cancer early. The earlier cancer is found, the more likely a patient is to survive. It’s one of the reasons why Rose of Hope organizers encourage women to get screened for breast cancer.
“When my grandmother died, there was no detection until there was a big lump and by then it was usually too late,” says Sherri. “Thanks to this great technology, we can detect cancer earlier and save lives.”
It’s not too late to help contribute to the Rose of Hope’s effort to help purchase an MRI for BIK. You can still make your donation online. To learn more about BIK, or to book a mammogram, visit the BIK website.
