Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation

Edmonton, AB – April 8, 2020 marks the official tenth anniversary of the opening of the Lois Hole Hospital for Women and it comes at a time when the importance of healthcare facilities and healthcare workers has perhaps never been so apparent.  

The parade of vehicles celebrating the hospital’s tenth birthday adorned with birthday balloons and signs of support, and well wishes for the Lois Hole Hospital for Women and the staff who work within it was a sight to behold. And though no one could enter the hospital or come within two metres of each other, the sense of care and support was tangible in the air.  

To celebrate the occasion, while respecting the current need to maintain safe physical distancing, the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation held a parking lot vehicle party followed by a drive-by birthday parade moving past the Lois Hole Hospital for Women.

“We had so many plans in place to celebrate this momentous occasion at the hospital, but unfortunately we had to pivot to a new plan,” said Sharlene Rutherford, President and CEO of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation. “Though we are unable to come together in a more traditional way we want the staff of the hospital to know we are thinking of them and that we are committed to celebrating this province’s dedicated women’s hospital in a memorable way.”

“I remember the day of the ribbon-cutting like it was yesterday,” said Rutherford. “For community leaders – many of them women – who worked hard to advocate and fundraise for a dedicated women’s hospital, it was indeed a special day.  Ten years later, this hospital is earning accolades for its leadership, innovative approaches to care and treatment, and the integration of research into the clinical care setting. I think Mrs. Hole would have been very proud.”

Watching from inside the hospital, many healthcare workers donned their favourite purple scrubs and accessories and stood throughout the five levels of the hospital’s cantilevered stairwell facing 111 Ave. to witness and take part in the celebration.

“We are so grateful for the financial support of our foundation every day, and for the innovations in care and equipment that donors make possible,” said Tracee Pratt, Executive Director of the Lois Hole Hospital for Women. “But it is perhaps days like today, when all we are receiving are messages of appreciation and support that we feel the most grateful.”