The Peace River Community Health Centre received a generous $3 million donation from former local businessman Marshall Eliuk to the Peace River and District Health Foundation.
The generous gift has triggered the renaming of the centre to the Marshall Eliuk Peace River Community Health Centre.
Peace River and District Health Foundation chair Will Petluk says Eliuk’s donation will go a long way to help the rural hospital fund a variety of projects long into the future.
“This generous gift from Marshall is the largest in our foundation’s history,” says Petluk.
“With his donation, Marshall was able to put money back into the community that he loves. (With this) he has touched the lives of so many people, our current residents and all future generations in Peace River,” he adds.
Petluk says Eliuk recognized that people throughout the region supported his businesses by buying cars, going to his movie theatre and supporting all of entrepreneurial efforts and he wanted to give back to the community.
He adds in addition to his kind financial contribution to the health foundation, Eliuk also had multiple businesses in the community.
“Marshall spent 46 years in the town of Peace River, and he is a mover and a shaker and an entrepreneur,” says Petluk.
“Marshall is the kind of guy who would see what the community needed, and he would make it happen.”
In addition to the $3 million gift, Eliuk also donated an additional $100,000 to the foundation. This kind donation will be acknowledged by naming the health centre’s atrium in his honour.
“At this point in time, we will leave the donation in an endowment fund until we find something to invest in that will be beneficial to the health centre,” says Petluk.
Over his lifetime, Eliuk has donated to many health causes, including $1.5 million to Canadian Blood Services’ cord blood/stem cell bank initiative, $1.5 million to a state-of-the-art systemic therapy suite in BC Cancer-Kelowna, $1 million to Kelowna General Hospital’s cardiac unit and $1 million to its stroke unit.
In an Alberta Health Services news release, Eliuk expressed the simple, but heartfelt, reason behind his decision to donate to the various
medical facilities and causes.
“Healthcare is something that touches every life – as a patient, a family member, a neighbour,” Eliuk says.
“I have been fortunate in my life and the care I received in tougher times continues to inspire me. I see this gift as a way to help my community, so patients can get excellent care close to home.
“I am deeply honoured to have the health centre and its atrium associated with my name, and I look forward to what this centre will mean for generations to come,” he concludes.
Petluk says the Peace River and District Health Foundation was founded in 2010. Its mission is to improve healthcare services in the Peace River community by supporting local health initiatives and enhancing medical equipment and facilities.
The foundation raises money and supports programs and capital needs for the (newly minted) Marshall Eliuk Peace River Community Health Centre. The committee works with donors, government, health operators and community partners to ensure high-quality care in the region.
Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter
Photos courtesy of Photos by Lori of Peace River