50/50 tickets are on sale now to support Nanaimo hospital's maternity department. (NDHF)

By Ian Holmes

NRGH 50/50 raffle

50/50 draw boosting Nanaimo hospital maternity ward

Aug 13, 2025 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO — Revenue from a pending 50/50 raffle will help purchase fetal monitoring equipment for high-risk pregnancies at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital.

Tickets for the Nanaimo and District Hospital Foundation (NDHF) Sun’s Out Fun’s Out raffle are on sale until midnight on Tuesday, Sept 2, with the draw taking place the following day at noon.

NDHF CEO Barney Ellis-Perry said the hope is to acquire 16 state-of-the-art fetal monitors, which track the fetus and mother’s health at Nanaimo hospital’s maternity ward.

“The maternity department is our tertiary level maternity for central/north Island,” Ellis-Perry told NanaimoNewsNOW. “We have moms coming here with more challenging deliveries from all over central and north Vancouver Island, and also sometimes from the mainland.”

Further investments would build on significant recent enhancements to the NRGH maternity ward.

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All new birthing incubators have been added, as well as new birthing beds earlier this year, Ellis-Perry noted.

“We’re also doing this to attract health professionals to our community and to really upgrade our level of care here for what people here deserve.”

Introduced last year, Ellis-Perry said the 50/50 raffle is a great way to expand on their list of 3,800 individual donors who supported the foundation last year.

Hospital foundation volunteers have been at numerous summer events in Nanaimo promoting the 50/50 draw, as well as the need for improved monitoring equipment.

2024 was a banner fundraising year for the NDHF, with over $12.7 million raised, far beyond the original $8 million goal.

Ellis-Perry said donated funds are for various equipment enhancements to NRGH, the Oceanside Health Centre and Island Health’s three regional long-term care facilities.

“The demand is high. This year we’re hoping to raise over $10 million, there’s a lot of work to do.”

Information on purchasing tickets is available here.

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