The Wetaskiwin Health Foundation has announced its 2026 fundraising calendar, inviting residents of Wetaskiwin, Pigeon Lake, Millet, Maskwacis, and surrounding rural communities to support local healthcare initiatives. The organization, recognized as the largest rural health foundation in Canada for the past three years, will host three major events this year to help meet its goal of raising $400,000 for the Wetaskiwin Hospital and Care Centre.
The upcoming lineup features the Cork and Ivory musical evening, which will once again showcase performances by the Dueling Piano Kings. The foundation will also host its annual charity golf tournament and its signature holiday event, the annual barn dance. These community gatherings are designed to raise funds for equipment and services that are not covered by provincial budgets.
Currently, the foundation is focused on a campaign to completely revitalize the palliative care suite at the local hospital. This effort follows a highly successful three-year campaign that concluded in 2025, during which the foundation raised $1.2 million to provide the hospital with state-of-the-art emergency care equipment.
Since its founding on April 17, 1986, the organization has raised over $20 million to improve healthcare in the region, with $11 million already put to use for local services and equipment. The foundation is governed by a group of 13 community volunteers and five staff members who work to ensure the hospital remains well-equipped for the approximately 45,000 residents living in the area.
The foundation has maintained a track record of completing a major fundraising campaign every year for the past 11 years. Information about the foundation and its upcoming events can be found on their website or through the Leduc, Nisku and Wetaskiwin Regional Chamber of Commerce.
