Dozens gathered at the Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH) on Wednesday to celebrate a group of Victoria's most dedicated volunteers.
For 101 years, the Royal Jubilee Hospital Auxiliary has raised funds to help purchase much-needed medical equipment for the hospital.
The charity's efforts began in 1924, when RJH looked much different than it does today. The auxiliary's financial accomplishments in those early years have been lost to time, but more than $6 million has been raised for RJH since records have been kept in 1962.
“They’d have raffles, they’d have galas, they'd have bingos,” said Pauline Janyst, one of the group’s coordinators. “They’d do all kinds of innovative things to raise money.”
The auxiliary opened a thrift store in downtown Victoria in 1939, where volunteers sold a raft of items – the proceeds of which were delivered straight to RJH.
In 1952, the volunteers began pushing carts up and down Jubilee’s halls, selling sweets, drinks and magazines to the hospital’s many patients. All of the money these folks collected went right back to keeping the same patients healthy.
Eventually, the charity kick-started a gift shop in RJH. After opening its doors in 1962, the shop moved twice – once in 2001 and again in 2011 to where it stands today.
Janyst explained the group doesn’t just help keep RJH running – it helps fill it with some of its most important staff. Every year, the auxiliary offers six, $2,000 bursaries for nursing students from Camosun and the University of Victoria.
Susan Petford, the co-buyer at the hospital gift shop, explained that the charity's efforts also help fill in the gaps where RJH lacks funding.
“Hospitals or health authorities are stretched thin,” she said. “It's really, really needed. A lot of the surgical equipment and stuff they can have on their list is expensive.”
While the group boasted 160 volunteers in its heyday, it's still going strong today with 60 folks dedicated to ensuring RJH can continue to offer the services that thousands of Islanders rely on.
Two of the group’s long-serving volunteers – Margaret Bragg and Bindo Dillon have volunteered for the auxiliary for 24 and 26 years, respectively – were at the celebration to cut a massive cake topped with kiwis, blueberries, raspberries and plenty of whipped cream.
“It's a great organization,” said Petford. "Whether we work here for three hours a week or 40 hours a week, it's all volunteers – and we're a good team.”
Janyst expressed a similar sentiment.
“It's been a really great journey for me,” she said.
