Evelyn Pidhorney Donated $150,000 to The Health Foundation
"I want my money to be used locally, to benefit the community I’ve lived in"
The Health Foundation received an extremely generous donation of $150,000 from Mrs. Evelyn Pidhorney in the fall of 2020, before she passed away November 15, 2020 at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre one day before her 85th birthday. The donation will be used to assist the purchase of the new operating room and lab equipment that is critically needed in the hospital.
“This is an exceptional and generous donation, that we are very grateful to receive,” said Ross Fisher, Executive Director of The Health Foundation. “The equipment Mrs. Pidhorney is helping us purchase will be used every day, and benefit thousands of people every year. Literally thousands of people will benefit directly and her generosity will also have a very positive impact for the community generally.”
“I’m in my 80s now and thought since I’m in a position to make larger donations, now is a good time. I would like to see how my money is used and know it will benefit my community,” said Mrs Pidhorney. “The important thing to me is that I want my money to be used locally, to benefit the community I’ve lived in.”
“I think it is important to consider what you can do to help your community when you are planning your estate or getting to a stage in your life where you can make larger donations,” continued Mrs. Pidhorney. “I hope other people think about how they might help their community as well.”
“We are very fortunate at the Foundation to meet people like Evelyn who genuinely want to help others and receive nothing in return. Donations like this are remarkable as they are so selfless; Mrs. Pidhorney obviously wants to help her community and the people who live in this area,” said Mr. Fisher.
“This donation covers half the cost of the equipment we need to buy, and I trust we will raise the remainder of the money needed quickly. People respond to this kind of leadership, it will lend momentum to our fundraising campaign,” continued Mr. Fisher. “Of course, this equipment will be able to move to the new hospital when it is built.”
Evelyn Pidhorney faced many challenges in her life, but she didn’t let those challenges impede her or define her. Evelyn had polio when she was very young which left her with mobility challenges and she needed braces and crutches most of her life.
Mrs. Pidhorney was a very determined woman. She knew she would face challenges in her life and wanted to put herself in a position to deal with them. She took correspondence courses to obtain her accounting degree and was eventually able to open her own business, E & P Agencies, and provided people with income tax, insurance and investment advice and service.
Wasylina Lushney bequeathed over $400,000 to local causes
The Health Foundation received over $282,000
Wasylina Lushney, late of Yorkton, who formerly farmed with her husband Bill in the Wroxton area, passed away on October 26, 2018. Wasylina had been a very generous person with local charities during her life and she continued to show her compassion and how much she cared for others by making substantial bequests in her will.
Wasylina had owned three quarter sections of land in the Wroxton area which after her passing were listed for sale and sold. Those funds were then dispersed to The Health Foundation of East Central Saskatchewan in Yorkton, the Kamsack Hospital and Eaglestone Lodge in Kamsack.
“We are very grateful and thankful to receive a substantial bequest like this,” said Ross Fisher, Executive Director of The Health Foundation. “Wasylina Lushney was a very generous person while she was alive and made many generous contributions to help our work improving healthcare. We are very glad that she made a will that reflected her values, and that she continued to support the community and to help care for others even after she has passed.”
“The Health Foundation was fortunate to receive $282,371. This is a very substantial donation and it will help us to purchase needed equipment in the Yorkton Regional Hospital,” said Mr. Fisher. “We are grateful to Wasylina for her generosity and to all of those individuals who remember to think of others and how they might make a difference in other lives by making a charitable bequest.”
More information
For information about leaving a bequest in your will, click here.
Above: a photo of Wasylina Lushney, who made the bequest, is held by Mary Schulman, left, and Linda Lushney, right, who are the executors of Wasylina’s estate.