Rose Garden hospice welcomes $100,000 sponsorship from local business owner

Local businessman Raj Bains knows how important end of life care is, and that was the inspiration for a $100,000 sponsorship at the Rose Garden Hospice.

Bains, a local franchisee who owns all five MacDonald’s restaurant locations in Prince Albert, joined hospice staff, guests, and dignitaries on Thursday to sponsor one of 10 guest rooms at Rose Garden. Bains said supporting the hospice was an easy decision.

“My dad, during his end of life, he also went through this kind of facility, so I know how important it is to have proper good-byes,” Bains said during an interview on Thursday. “That’s why this is very close and near and dear to my heart. I just want to do something because I just want to cherish my good memories with my dad.”

With the $100,000 sponsorship, one of the Rose Garden Hospice’s guest rooms will be named in memory of Dr. Jay Bains, Raj’s father, a disease coordinator with the University of Victoria and UBC who would hold seminars to help seniors live a better life with less complications.

When his father died, Raj said hospice care was vital for helping the family say good-bye. By sponsoring a room at Rose Garden, he hopes other families will have that same helping hand when their loved ones pass.

“Going through our personal experience, we knew how important it is to say proper good-byes or give proper good-byes, and facilities like (the Rose Garden Hospice) provide you with that,” Raj said. “It’s like a home away from home. We knew that my dad could never come back home and we could say good-bye.”

The $100,000 donation will be paid over the 10-year sponsorship. It’s one of several contributions MacDonald’s has made recently. Others include raising more than $83,000 for the Prince Albert Ronald McDonald House, which is currently under construction, and delivering snacks and drinks for Rose Garden Hospice nurses to celebrate National Nurses Week.

Rose Garden Hospice Community Engagement and Philanthropy Coordinator Ian Dickson said a board member originally contacted Raj in hopes of securing a Brunch with Santa sponsorship. However, Dickson said it soon became apparent the local business owner wanted to donate much more.

“Raj and his team of I think four or five people came down, did a very lengthy tour of the facility, and had an amazing conversation about what hospice care means for this community,” Dickson said. “He was able to share what it meant for him and his family when he went through it. There was a real connection right away.”

Dickson said the 10 guests rooms have a “large footprint” and are designed to allow families and their loved ones to spend their last moments together in a home-life setting. The rooms include hide-a-beds, recliners, a fridge, and a bathroom.

With this donation, there is only one guest room that doesn’t have a sponsor.

“We encourage people to make the room their own as much as they’d like to when they are here,” Dickson explained.

More than 400 people have required end of life care at Rose Garden Hospice since it opened, Dickson said. He added that the hospice has a strong reputation in the community, and the reason they’re able to provide good care is because of donations and sponsorships like this one.

Rose Garden Hospice board char Steve Jeffers was among the delegates on site for the donation. Jeffers said donations and sponsorships like this one ensure individuals and families facing end-of-life journeys received compassionate and dignified care.

“This donation will have a lasting impact on our ability to provide comfort, support, and peace to those who need it most,” Jeffers said in a press release. “We are honoured to partner with community leaders like Raj and McDonald’s, whose investment in Rose Garden Hospice helps strengthen the care and services we provide every day.”

-Advertisement-