SURREY – Friends of Ferrari cut Surrey Memorial Hospital a $5,000 cheque last weekend (Sept. 28).
The funds were raised through a mini Grand Prix event, which saw a group of boys and girls, ages three to five, race around a small track outside the Italian Cultural Centre.
Reet Sidhu, communications coordinator for the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation, said the money will be used to support pediatric equipment as well as the emergency room in the new critical care tower.
SMH is the second largest hospital in B.C. Its ER saw 117,000 visits in 2013, up 17 per cent from 2012.
Friends of Ferrari was an idea put forward by Franco Corona back in 2001. He wanted to create a fundraising group that would support charities and causes dealing with children. Replica Formula 1 cars were purchased through sponsorship, with 100 per cent of that money given to the charities, which in turn would issue a tax receipt. Since its inception, Friends of Ferrari has donated over $1.6 million.