Kelly Panteluk Construction Ltd.'s (KPCL) support for a new children's hospital in Saskatchewan has gone to a new level.
The Estevan-based dirt moving company presented a $450,000 cash donation to the Children's Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan (CHFS) on Jan. 12. The business had already donated $50,000 towards the project, so their total contribution now stands at half a million dollars.
The $450,000 donation will be directed to a new multidisciplinary assessment room in the hospital’s pediatric outpatient department. It will provide an assessment space to help children at risk for issues related to genetic, neuro motor and metabolic disorders, and many other acute or chronic conditions.
“It’s going to be a room used by multiple professions who specialize in areas such as physical abilities, speech and language skills, hearing and vision (abilities), developmental skills and more,” said Brynn Boback-Lane, the president and CEO of the CHFS.
She told the Mercury that it will offer an ideal environment for evaluating and assessing of a child’s physical or social development.
The area will be known as the KPCL Construction Multidisciplinary Assessment Room.
Mary Panteluk from KPCL said it was tough to select which component of the hospital they wanted their name attached to, but they eventually went with the assessment room.
“It's important to diagnose if there are any difficulties earlier on in a child's life,” said Mary Panteluk.
Any opportunity to donate to the new children’s hospital would be rewarding.
“The importance to us was getting that added money raised so that facility can be completed,” said Kelly Panteluk.
The Panteluks believe the new children’s hospital will improve the lives of Saskatchewan families.
“We've been looking for a project for the last little while, as a company, that is going to add value to the lives of the people of Saskatchewan,” he said. “Knowing they needed some more money – they still have to raise about $25 million – we wanted to get behind it and throw our company name behind it and our family name behind to support it.”
The Panteluk family has not had any members who have stayed at a children's hospital, added Mary Panteluk, but some of the KPCL employees have had family members who have needed the neonatal intensive-care units in the province. Some have had to travel outside of the province to receive care.
“We're supporting the families of Saskatchewan as they get the infrastructure in place to keep families closer to home when they are going through tougher times with health-care and trying to get things resolved on that end,” she said.
KPCL and the CHFS started talking about a donation in March of last year.
Supporting organizations related to health care has been a priority to KPCL throughout the company's history. Mary noted the business made a significant donation towards the construction of St. Joseph's Hospital during the fundraising campaign for the hospital more than 25 years ago.
The company’s other contribution to the new children’s hospital was a $50,000 cheque to the Child Life Zone last summer. The Panteluks said it's a play area where young people can be themselves. Saskatchewan’s new children’s hospital will be the first facility in North America to incorporate this area while it is being constructed; in other hospitals, it has been added afterwards.
“Research shows that … it's going to help the child's healing process with that added wing within the hospital, and having fun,” he said.
Country music legend Garth Brooks was in Saskatchewan last year to promote the Child Life Zone.
Boback-Lane said the CHFS has already raised about $50 million for the hospital, but they still have to raise $25 million to ensure they have all the necessary equipment, enhancements and technology available when the hospital opens.
“The support and generosity of the people throughout this province really reflects that people are very supportive of a dedicated children’s and maternal hospital for the province’s people, their families and their children,” said Boback-Lane.
Construction on the new children’s hospital started in late August, and is expected to continue until 2019.
“Right now, you’ll see on the skyline of Saskatoon two large construction cranes, and they are bringing in all of the steel work and any large structural pieces,” said Boback-Lane.
It won’t be long before the first three floors are taking shape.
The Panteluks’ contribution is a reflection of families helping families, and the CHFS is thrilled with their support.
“Saskatchewan is getting better because of people like the Panteluk family and KPCL,” said Boback-Lane.
