Squamish health-care providers will put their hitting and fielding skills to the test in the name of end-of-life care and family support programs this weekend.
The Doctors vs. Nurses event on Saturday (Sept. 21) at 3 p.m. at LaRoy Watt Field is a softball game to raise money for the Squamish Hospice Society (SHS), which provides support for people and families facing palliative-care situations.
The society has established a goal securing end-of-life care beds in Squamish to serve families up and down the Sea to Sky Corridor, said Nicole Carrothers, SHS administrator and program coordinator.
"Consultations are taking place," Carrothers said of the society's aim of securing such a facility. "Finding a physical space is not a huge hurdle. However, the medical system has a very tight budget, and the biggest hurdle is always securing the year-to-year operating funds from Vancouver Coastal Health.
"The volunteers who provide the service now are there to help families be together at the end of life."
Health-care providers approached the SHS about staging the Doctors vs. Nurses fundraiser, Carrothers said. "It was them who came to us and said, 'Let's do this,'" she said.
This is SHS's first attempt at staging a major fundraiser with a baseball game as a centerpiece, Carrothers said. In addition to the ballgame, the event will include a beer garden, a photo booth, a kids' fun zone with face painting and a bouncy castle.
The teams will play seven innings of modified fastpitch, Carrothers said. Carl Brown from Mountain FM will serve as announcer. SHS has had volunteer support for the event from Squamish Rotary, Carrothers said.
"I know some of the nurses play ball; don't know about the doctors, but they definitely have quite a competitive spirit," she said. "There's even been talk of practices."
Admission to the diamond at the north end of Brennan Park is a donation of $5 per person, with proceeds to SHS.
