Royal Inland Hospital.

(ASHLEY LEGASSIC - REPORTER / iNFOnews.ca)

A heart-warming gesture by a Kamloops couple toward healthcare staff at Royal Inland Hospital appears to have triggered an avalanche of gifts and support from the community.

The couple purchased an abundance of gift cards from local restaurants and had them distributed to the staff, to show their appreciation in response to the protests that took place in front of the hospital last month, according to a media release by the hospital.

They said they want to pay it forward after they received quality care at the hospital over the past several decades.

The couple purchased gift cards from Earls, Mason’s Kitchen + Bar, Mittz Kitchen, Peter’s Pasta and Romeos Kitchen and Spirits, which joined the cause by donating more gift cards of their own, according to the release.

The couple initiated the act of kindness to show healthcare staff how meaningful their work is in keeping the community healthy, with the hope the staff uses the card to reconnect with family and recharge, while supporting local businesses.

“We think everyone in our city benefits from our hospital, many individuals and businesses have inspired us with their acts of kindness toward healthcare professionals, and so we hope that this inspires others to show their expression of appreciation in any way they can,” said the couple in the release.

The hospital foundation said it has received an outpouring of thoughtful gifts in support of healthcare professionals, including hundreds of gift cards from members and business owners of the Vietnamese Community.

“We all agreed that we had to do something to show our gratitude to the healthcare workers at RIH after we saw what happened at the protests on September 1st. At one time or another, we all need their help, their dedication, their compassion, and their kindness, if not for ourselves, for our family members," said a member of the Vietnamese community in the release. "So in their time of stress like right now, we wanted to make a kind gesture to uplift their spirits. What we did was just a very small gesture but we hope that other communities will join in to let healthcare workers know that they are not fighting this pandemic alone and they always have our support and gratitude."

So far, the RIH Foundation has received in-kind donations from the following generous local businesses: Chateau De Nails, Son Mai Spa, Bubble Tea Time & Waffles, Crystal Nails, Nina's Nails, Pho Viet & Donut King and Watercress Vietnamese Restaurant.

Complimentary to this, a group of creative women from the Savona Seniors Ladies Craft Club decided show their appreciation for the healthcare staff at RIH by creating stunning handmade cards filled with words of encouragement for various departments in the hospital.

“To everyone at Kamloops Royal Inland Hospital, thank you all for your dedication and professional care you have shown over and over again since Covid-19 came to our doors," said Yvonne Simmons, a member of the Savona Seniors Ladies Craft Club, in the release. "You are truly heroes each and everyone."

Along with community groups, local businesses have also been offering their tokens of gratitude in support of healthcare professionals at RIH. The partners at KPMG also gave gift cards from numerous local businesses around the community.

With the inundation of gifts received over the last few weeks, the RIH Foundation created a Staff Appreciation Program where all employees of RIH can register to win weekly prizes. With the help of the community, the foundation hopes to lift spirits and warm hearts one day at a time.

The RIH Foundation would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Chau and Huong, John and Tam, Trinh and Kim, Phuong, Huong, Thuy, Lan, and Vinh for their generous contributions.

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