Lobster dinner to benefit DGH ultrasound program

By Matthew Townsend

The Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation will hold its annual Lobster Dinner & Auction on June 14, with all proceeds going to the hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) ultrasound program.

Now in its 40th year, the oceanfront fundraising dinner will serve up freshly cooked lobsters (two per plate) at Fisherman’s Cove in Eastern Passage. Diners can also opt for steak, vegetarian, or surf n’ turf. Ticket options include three experiences at different price points: sailing from the Halifax Waterfront to the cove aboard the Kawartha Spirit, parking at Fisherman’s Cove, and drive-thru takeaway. For those dining at Fisherman’s Cove, the event includes live entertainment, auctions, and a balloon blitz.

Though Canadian health care is publicly funded, charitable foundations work with donors and government to improve quality of care beyond what can be publicly provided. At Dartmouth General Hospital (DGH), the foundation raises funds through direct donations, media broadcasts, and special events, like the dinner. Tina Murphy, senior communications advisor for the foundation, told the Post that the dinner is an “easy way to get involved” in the foundation’s mission.

Last year, the foundation and its donors helped DGH purchase the hospital’s first MRI unit, which went online last summer. The foundation has also helped purchase DGH’s first surgical robot for orthopedics and helped launch Atlantic Canada’s first pelvic health suite, a new palliative care unit, and a first-in-Canada ED Vital Signs Wearables project. Murphy said the wearables project is used when patients experiencing a range of symptoms like chest pain, abnormal lab results, or difficulty breathing present in the ED, and it “has already saved lives.” The foundation also provides bursaries for African Nova Scotian and Black high school students interested in health-related fields.

Overall, the foundation has raised more than $60 million for DGH since 1975.

Funds raised this year will help expand the portable ultrasound program in the ED. “Using this technology, we can identify life-threatening emergencies at the bedside in real time,” said Dr. Ravi Parkash, site chief of emergency medicine at DGH.

Sponsors include Conrad Brothers Ltd., which helped launch the annual dinner in 1985, and Ocean Contractors Limited. The J&W Murphy Foundation will match all proceeds up to $150,000. Kim Conrad, past president of Conrad Brothers Ltd., and Denis Ryan, folk musician and member of the Irish-Newfoundland band Ryan’s Fancy, will serve as co-chairs for the event.

Tickets for the lobster dinner are available online at dghfoundation.ca/lobster or by calling 902-460-4149. Prices range from $179 to $359. You can also make one-time or monthly gifts of any amount on the foundation website.