A large number of Airdrie residents will be donning their best tuxes, black ties and evening gowns all for an extremely valuable cause on Saturday night (September 29).

The annual Airdrie Health Foundation "Light Up The Night" Gala is happening at Genesis Place.  This year the organizers are looking to out-do themselves with an awe-inspiring evening in the vein of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Board Chair of the Airdrie Health Foundation Michelle Bates says this year's event will feature a delicious meal, two cirque aerialists performing throughout the evening., as well as Airdrie's own Ambition Performing Arts Inc, and a number of other acts.

One of the most entertaining parts of the evening is the hosting of the Giant Pumpkin, a gourd that will weigh in at, likely, 1,100 pounds.  The pumpkin will be up for auction at the gala, just in time for Halloween.

Other than a great night of food, fun, and entertainment, the gala is held to raise funds for existing health care programs in Airdrie which the Health Foundation Supports.  Last year, according to Bates, the gala raised over $108,000 and this year they've set an even loftier goal of $130,000 to support three important programs.

"The first one is Pregnancy and Beyond.  That's a program that helps young mothers with their pregnancy and post-care and it also helps with the family.  If there are any issues in the household such as financial issues, maybe there's violence in the home, substance abuse, any of those challenges.  This program works with Community Links and the Library and dietician and support staff at the Health facility to ensure that the mom and the family and the child are successful in their first few months and years going forward."

The second program that funds will be raised for during the gala is a new, two-year pilot program, the Alberta Health Services / RCMP Mental Health Liasion Team, a project that the RCMP have been working on for several months, according to Bates.

"This is a team that will go and do follow-ups on 9-1-1 calls and other cases that are brought to them that might have a mental health component or issue to it and this team can follow up with the client or patient and their family to get them on track and seek out the right avenue to help with the situation that they're in.  It will hopefully decrease patients being lost in the system or being put into hospital or in jail but actually seek the right avenues and get help for whatever ongoing issues they have."

The third program being supported that night sounds like something straight out of a Star Trek episode.  It's the TeleMedicine Program, which is brand new in Airdrie, as Bates explains.

"It's a collaboration with the Highland Primary Care Network (HPN) here in Airdrie and Symphony of Health Connections.  Currently, two cardiologists come to Airdrie to see patients at the HPN.  These cardiologists that are coming out here have found that there is sometimes a barrier to getting into Calgary for heart patients and they just don't follow up.  By the time they do it's too late because they're in hospital with a heart attack.  These cardiologists are working with the health network to get Tele-Medicine.  It's kind of Skype thing with a cardiologist who is in Calgary but the equipment we have has all the bells and whistle to do a complete exam here in Airdrie, even though they're in Calgary or maybe somewhere else across the province or across the world."

Bates says monthly donors are always needed since the AHF supports many other projects as well.  

The gala is sold out but if you'd like to support the Airdrie Health Foundation in its ongoing health projects that make Airdrie a better, and healthier, place to live, you can go here to make a donation. 

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