Community & Culture

Foundation spotlight series: South Cariboo Health Foundation

June 27, 2025
Foundation members receive a grant from TB Vets for more than $7,000 to purchase 2 portable oxygen concentrators. From L to R: Carol England, Shelly Somerville, President Richard Bullen, Donna Barnett, Bruce Madu & IH Home Health manager Lisa Vogelsanger.

Foundations in the Interior region raise funds that support medical equipment, care needs, and innovative local initiatives in their communities. Each organization includes respected community leaders, volunteers and staff who are passionate about meeting the needs of patients and families in Interior Health. Thanks to the generosity of their supporters, we all have a stronger health system. 

In this next story of our series on the incredible health-care and hospital foundations throughout our region, we interviewed Richard Bullen, the president of the South Cariboo Health Foundation.  

How long have you been with the Foundation?  

This is my eighth year with the Foundation, and my third year as president.

Tell us about the focus of your Foundation and why what you do is important.

The Foundation’s focus is to support our 100 Mile House and District General Hospital and health facilities, health projects, and the well-being of health-care providers and their patients.

Our priorities include:

Ensuring that all monies raised through donations, grants and fundraising stay in our community: We have established scholarship and bursary awards of $1,500 each for any graduating high school student who plans to enter the medical field as a career.

Ensuring that equipment and resources are available to meet the needs of patients today and to facilitate the acceleration of purchases for the local health community: It’s important for our Foundation to support our local hospital to the best of our ability by providing the necessary equipment so the team members can provide the best care to their patients.

We want to keep our hospital going strong for years to come.

A group of seven people in various dress of different ages stand behind a wooden bench in front of a brick building. There are two flower planters either side of the group.
Sponsoring benches outside of 100 Mile House and District General Hospital is one way the community can donate to the South Cariboo Health Foundation. From L to R: Shelly Somerville, Debra Hollowell, Kristin Wells, Bruce Madu, Carol England, Richard Bullen, Donna Barnett.
Why did you want to work with the Foundation?

In January 2016, my wife Kandas and I transferred from Prince George to 100 Mile House to be a little closer to our grandson in Vancouver. We love this community and decided to retire here at the end of December 2018.

I had not heard of the Foundation until early in my second year of living in 100 Mile House. Past president Chris Nickless approached me asking if I would be interested in attending one of the meetings to see what the Foundation is all about.

I was impressed with the board and the hospital representatives, and their passion and commitment to enhancing patient care. I was also struck by how they provided the nurses and doctors with updated equipment to make their jobs easier.

I wanted to give back to the community and decided this was a fantastic way to do just that.

A group of 10 people wearing winter clothing and uniforms stand next to a Christmas tree. Two are holding a big cheque that says Thank You!
South Cariboo Health Foundation received a donation of $8,962 from the 100 Mile House Tim Hortons in December of last year.
Do you have any favourite fundraising campaigns current and past?

Our Starry Nights campaign has been our main and most successful fundraiser for the past 12 years.

The Starry Nights fundraiser is the annual lighting of the Christmas lights at the hospital right after the Christmas parade. Over the past few years, with help from businesses, other organizations and the generous donations from the citizens of 100 Mile House and surrounding areas, we have raised $90,000 to $100,000 plus annually, not including health donations throughout the year.

A two-storey building is lit up with Christmas lights. There are stars, a tree and a sign that says Starry Nights. It's dark outside and there's snow on the ground.
The Starry Night fundraiser is part of the annual holiday tradition in the South Cariboo. 

Through this fundraiser, The Foundation was able to fulfill a request from the emergency department (ED) team to purchase a LUCAS chest compression machine. This was after the ED had two cardiac arrest patient cases back-to-back, which required extra nursing supports from other departments.

Two people with grey hair, one wearing a black vest and one a colourful blouse, stand next to a yellow and black apparatus sitting on a hospital bed. There are monitors, lights and posters behind them.
The LUCAS machine helps deliver consistent, high-quality chest compressions, so that staff can focus on other critical tasks. From L to R: Richard delivering the LUCAS machine to ED manager Marie Beer.
Is there a particular donation over the years that stands out? 

Two years ago, we received a donation exceeding $150,000, with no prior designation for its use. This allowed the Foundation to make improvements to the hospital morgue, which was operating beyond capacity at the time.

What are your words to live by?

Treat people the way you would like to be treated. Always lend a helping hand to those in need.

What are you the Foundation’s total donations to IH to date?

For the past 22 years, the South Cariboo Health Foundation has donated $2.4 million to Interior Health. An impressive sum for a small town.

Giving back to the community that has welcomed us just seemed the right thing do. Being a part of the South Cariboo Health Foundation has been and continues to be a very gratifying experience, and it has been a pleasure to work with the Foundation’s board of directors these past years.

Thank you to the people of this community and surrounding area for their generous support and trusting us to make the right decisions. They are the ones that make this Foundation thrive.

 

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