East Kootenay Regional Hospital receives $10K donation to support neonatal intensive care

A $10,000 donation from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation will support the neonatal intensive care unit at East Kootenay Regional Hospital after Kootenay’s Team Young chose the unit following its win at the Canadian Men’s Curling Club Championships.

Mitch Young, Steve Tersmette, Blair Jarvis and Kevin Hoglund won the championship in Winnipeg last November. The foundation then invited the team to choose where the donation would go.

Since 2001, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation has granted millions of dollars to hospitals in every province and territory to buy lifesaving equipment for premature and critically ill babies.

The foundation’s work honours Sandra Schmirler’s courage and character by helping critically ill newborns.

“Both Mitch and Steve’s children were born at the hospital in Cranbrook, BC and we couldn’t be happier to see these funds go to their facility to improve care for babies and new mothers,” said Team Young.

“Thanks to Brenna at the EKFH for stick handling the logistics on behalf of our team and the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.”

The NICU opened in November 2025 and has had patients nearly every day since.

The unit provides specialized care for premature newborns, allowing families to stay closer to home rather than travel to larger centres such as Kelowna.

“The NICU is a vital resource for families throughout the East Kootenay, ensuring our tiniest and most vulnerable patients can receive critical care closer to home when they need it most,’ said Brenna Hong, executive director, East Kootenay Foundation for Health (EKFH).

“Support like this makes a real and lasting difference, not only in the care we can provide to these precious babies, but also in the lives of the families who depend on us during some of their most challenging moments”

More information about the Sandra Schmirler Foundation’s support for curling and neonatal care is available at sandraschmirler.org