A small gift of $150 could turn into a much larger contribution if a Central Alberta teenager gets her way.
McKenna Causey, 17, received $150 from the Royal Bank of Canada as part of the bank’s Make 150 Count campaign. The bank gave the money, challenging 150 youth across the country to use it to make a positive impact.
That’s just what Causey is trying to do.
She has taken on the challenge of encouraging 150 businesses or people to each donate $150 to buy phototherapy equipment for the Red Deer Regional Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit and children in the pediatric unit.
“It seemed like such a small amount, you can’t do much with $150 nowadays to make a real impact,” said Causey. “I wanted something that would make a lasting impact. So I found a way.”
If she succeeds, she would raise more than $22,000 for the equipment.
At first she wanted to fundraise to buy incubators, but the hospital had recently received several incubators.
After some discussions with hospital staff, phototherapy equipment was settled on. The equipment helps get rid of jaundice in new babies.
“This has turned out to be an amazing story, she’s just an amazing girl,” said Lori Leduc, the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation community program coordinator and third party facilitator.
“We think it’s amazing,” said Leduc, adding Causey called saying she had this money and didn’t know what to do with it, but knew she wanted to give the money to help out in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Causey wants to raise enough money to donate two sets of the equipment to the Red Deer Regional Hospital.
To donate email make150countcampaign@gmail.com or call Causey at 587-876-0429. For more information visit www.make150count.weebly.com or the Make 150 Count Campaign Facebook page.