French Dressing Jeans offered a retail display contest to all retail outlets that sold their products in Canada and USA. From all the entries, Vanderhoof Department Store’s display was selected in the top 10, receiving a $1,000 award.
Janet and Larry Bangs, owners of the Vanderhoof Department Store, chose St John Hospital Auxiliary Society as recipient of this award. The $1,000 award will be set aside for the Ruby Ellen van Andel Community Cancer Clinic at St John Hospital, in Vanderhoof.
The name of the clinic will be the Ruby Ellen van Andel Community Cancer Clinic.
In 2006 Mr. Henry van Andel approached St John Hospital’s HSA (Health Services Administer) with a wish to donated $200,000 to our local health care. Mr. van Andel’s wish was for the funds to remain in Vanderhoof and at that time St John Hospital Auxiliary Society was selected to manage these funds.
Mr. van Andel’s decision was to have the monies set aside for an Oncology Unit in Vanderhoof. Northern Health supported this initiative and following much planning, the Oncology Clinic opened in 2008. The clinic opened with four active patients and currently has 28 active patients. The clinic provides treatment, symptom management and follow-up care. Cancer patients from Fort St. James, Fraser Lake, Burns Lake and Vanderhoof benefit from closer-to-home treatment.