If Christmas is About Giving, This is the Best Christmas Yet
Published Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Message from Dr. Stephen Adams
Chair, Board of Directors, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation
They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. So far at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, this Christmas is surpassing them all!
First, there is the December Thunder Bay 50/50 Draw that keeps on breaking records. Last year's $6.4 million+ Grand Prize will likely be eclipsed again this year. As of this writing in the second week of December, we're already at $4.2 million! I'm continually amazed at how the Thunder Bay 50/50 has captured the imagination of so many people across Ontario. It's even made the national news. You can get your tickets at the Thunder Bay 50/50 Store in the Food Court at Intercity Shopping Centre or buy online at: thunderbay5050.ca
I'm also excited for patients all across Northwestern Ontario. The Thunder Bay 50/50 has allowed the Foundation to do more, faster. This past November, I was proud to be part of the announcement that we would be funding a little under $23 million for Hospital projects. That represents the highest funding amount ever in a single year in Foundation history.
Already, you can see the difference your support is making at the Hospital. Take, for example, the construction of the new CVS Program right outside the Hospital's main entrance. Watching the beams going up now really makes it seem official. The CVS Program will change lives, giving patients access to the cardiac surgery they need, right here at home, closer to the people that they love.
You may have also noticed construction beginning at the Emergency Department, which is also moving forward thanks to your support. Other highlights around the Hospital include $1 million in renovations to accommodate the new linear accelerator, a specialized operating table for spinal surgeries, new SMART inpatient beds, and replacements for aging defibrillators.
Giving Tuesday was another amazing success earlier this month. Generous donors gave over $73,000, surpassing both our original and stretch goals. Thanks to their amazing support, we are able to fund two urgently needed pieces of equipment: a new isolette for NICU so newborns have a safe, secure environment in their first hours and days, and a birthing bed for the Emergency Department so OBGYN patients have proper positioning, support, and privacy during exams.
Together, we're building something that will shape healthcare in Northwestern Ontario for years to come.
On behalf of the Board and staff of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation, I want to wish everyone out there a wonderful Christmas and Happy Holidays! May Santa be as good to you as you've been to patients this record-breaking year.
Dr. Stephen Adams