Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) Foundation is pleased to announce a major donation to the new Patient Care Tower (PCT) at RIH, from the Rizzardo Family in Merritt. The $200,000 donation will support medical equipment and technology in the new tower. The important role that healthcare plays in the Rizzardo family is evident in the career paths that their four sons have taken. The eldest son works at Emcon Services Inc., which provides road, bridge and mechanical contract services in BC, Alberta and Ontario. Two sons are physicians, and the fourth is a pharmacist. Frank and Almerina, who were both born in Italy, grew up in Vancouver and lived around the province before deciding to settle in the Merritt and Nicola Lake area in 1987. “We could really have lived anywhere in the province, especially given the online capabilities when running a business, but we chose to stay in the Merritt area and we love the community!” praised Almerina Rizzardo. “Normally, we would donate and that would be it. We decided to go public with this donation as we would like to encourage others to donate as well. As a regional hospital, RIH supports a huge area. Donations, of any size, from the entire catchment area will go a long way to continued improvement in healthcare at RIH – not only with the new tower, but also with new equipment, training, research, etc. in all areas,” Frank clarified. Heidi Coleman, RIH Foundation CEO, also commented on the substantial donation, “As the new Patient Care Tower is being built, there is a growing sense of excitement and anticipation. This feeling is augmented with the Rizzardo’s donation. Their gift is a wonderful example of giving back to the larger community by supporting the regional hospital. We are very grateful to the Rizzardo family!” Frank and Almerina Rizzardo are loyal donors to many charitable organizations in BC and have supported research, renovations, construction, and general operations at the Nicola Valley Health Care Endowment Foundation in Merritt, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. “We chose to donate to healthcare, to the local hospital in Merritt, the regional hospital in Kamloops, as well as to major centres in Vancouver. These are all facilities that our family has benefitted from in the past and we would like to ensure that other families throughout the province also have access to excellent healthcare,” explained Frank Rizzardo, “Our goal is to recognize these services and to contribute where help is needed. This fits well with what we were taught as kids, help out and give back when and where you can.”