Having grown up in a small Southeast Saskatchewan town, both Elaine Giroux-Sylvestre & Roger Sylvestre have always believed in community spirit and lending a hand whenever one can. For over 30 years, these beliefs followed them into their careers as educators where they were able to give back to their community and enrich not only their lives, but those around them as well.
In December of 2000, Elaine and Roger would make their first donation to the Hospitals of Regina Foundation, marking the beginning of over 20 years of support for Regina Hospitals.
“We wanted to give back to a cause that would benefit as many lives as possible”, Elaine says. “Not only ourselves, but some of our family members have required care at Regina’s hospitals and had excellent physicians and quality of care each time.”
Elaine and Roger’s appreciation for Regina’s hospitals, and the level of care offered to them, also comes from firsthand experience, having required various diagnostic tests, medical procedures and surgeries with subsequent treatments. In all cases, the Sylvestres received excellent care from the physicians and nurses they encountered, which strengthened their desire to give back.
“When health challenges start to appear, one realizes just how precious our health is. Our life is a gift that must be treasured and nurtured. If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything”, Roger explains. “Giving back not only benefits us, but also those of our loved ones who have received care at Regina’s hospitals, as well as the ones who will require care in the future.”
Not only are Elaine and Roger focused on giving back to improve local healthcare today, but in 2019 they took a proactive approach by creating a legacy for future generations as well.
“The Foundation works hard and is always looking at ways to help our hospitals deliver the best quality care.” Rogers says. “The Hospitals of Regina Foundation is there for everyone, every day and we hope that they will always be there. That is why we left a gift in our Wills to improve future health care and why, we believe, others should too.”
“Elaine and Roger’s story is a fantastic example of the importance our donors and other supporters place on quality health care, right here at home,” said Lisa Green, Senior Vice President, Hospitals of Regina Foundation. “With the support of community-minded people like Elaine and Roger, the Foundation will continue to invest in leading-edge technology for our hospitals, which in turn helps people in our community live better lives now and in the future.”