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Kelowna City Councillor and local community champion Maxine DeHart is giving a gift from the heart this Valentine’s Day.

DeHart is donating to the Our Students, Your Health campaign, which is raising funds to build a new Health Sciences Centre at ��«Ӱҵ and create scholarships and bursaries for health care students.

DeHart is the Campaign Ambassador for the fundraising campaign and is spearheading the media campaign encouraging others to get involved. She says the project’s goals touched her heartstrings and inspired her to give her time and resources to the campaign.

“We do not have anything if we do not have our health,” says DeHart. “��«Ӱҵ grads play an important role in keeping our community healthy, and that includes caring for our family, friends and even ourselves.”

While DeHart is opting to keep the nature of her gift private, she says supporting health care students who will go on to keep our community healthy resonated with her. And she’s inviting others to step up and give a gift from the heart that’s meaningful to them.

“These students need our help now, so they can care for us in the future. We should all open our hearts and give what we can.”

DeHart adds that with growing health care staffing shortages, investing in a state-of-the-art training Centre will put Kelowna on the map for health care students.

“I think it will make us one of the most sought after communities for people to come and study here,” says DeHart.

“They can learn here, they can graduate here, they can find jobs and they can stay here. That’s what you’re giving to, and your giving to people that are going to be helping you for the rest of your life.”

“We are so grateful to Max for giving her time, talent and treasure to support the training of health care professionals for our community,” says Helen Jackman, ��«Ӱҵ Foundation Executive Director.

“Our more than 11,000 graduates have an immense impact on the local health-care system. So we hope people will hear the messages that Max and others are sharing, and will be inspired to give and help us make this project a reality.”

The B.C. government is funding $15.4 million of the $18.9 million Health Sciences Centre. The ��«Ӱҵ Foundation is fundraising $3.5 million to complete the building and $1.5 million for scholarships and bursaries for students entering high-demand health care careers.

To learn more or to donate, visit ourstudentsyourhealth.ca.