On a chilly late-November evening, thousands of people gathered and watched as fireworks illuminated the night sky above St. Paul’s Hospital in downtown Vancouver.
Afterward, officials flicked a switch, firing up more than 100,000 multi-colored lightbulbs, and transforming St. Paul’s modest brick exterior into the holiday tradition and Christmas attraction known as Lights of Hope.
Onlookers that night (and nightly until January 9) witnessed the dazzling display that is the finished product. Not seen, however, were the hours of time from volunteers to make the display possible, volunteers like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 213.
Approximately 40 IBEW sisters and brothers joined more than 100 other volunteers on a damp Saturday morning in early November, donating their time to assemble the bulbs, cables and metal framing that is the Lights of Hope.
“The IBEW has been part of the Lights of Hope since its infancy,” said Doug Hamming, chair of the Lights of Hope Logistics Committee and architect with Stantec. “The electricians’ union has been involved in this from its first days. In fact, that's one of the things BC Hydro brought on board when this first started was the electricians’ union,” he said. “They've been a fantastic contributor right from the first day.”
Lights of Hope started in 1998. The annual event is held under the auspices of the Saint Paul’s Foundation. Lights of Hope is a charity initiative that raises money to support patient care, research and equipment. The initiative raised $3.15 million in 2015, and has raised $28 million to date.
For IBEW Local 213’s Christina Brock, Lights of Hope is a worthy cause that allows members to give back to the community. “We take pride in volunteering,” she said.
But Lights of Hope also strikes a personal chord for Brock, who is an IBEW assistant business manager and minority caucus chair.
Brock’s sister lived a difficult life on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Near death, she checked herself into St. Paul’s for medical treatment and benefited from the quality of care she received.
“They kept her alive until her strength came back so she was able to come back home to the Island. She was able to pass away with dignity at home and with family,” she said.
It’s not just Canadian IBEW sisters and brothers who help make Lights of Hope possible. For the fifth year, IBEW Local 46’s Sean Bagsby made the trek from Seattle, Wash. to Vancouver with 10 other American members to help out with event. The group includes apprentices, who learn not just about the job but also the intangible things that the IBEW supports and stands for.
For Bagsby, the day is also about giving back, but it is also about reciprocity with Canadian IBEW members. "They come down to help us with our community projects, and we come up to help them. It's a great way to give back and to build solidarity across borders,” he said.
Bagsby says he understands why supporting healthcare quality of life is important. His mother Velma Jean died three years ago at age 67. She spent the final three years of her life in an assisted living care facility, which kept her as comfortable as possible.
“Seeing her incapacitated during her twilight years, it makes a day like this very humbling and personal to me because this is going to happen to all of us because father time is undefeated,” he said. “It's about quality of life, not quantity. “When I'm retired and no longer a part of the union I take comfort in knowing that this will continue to go forward.”
You can support the St. Paul's Foundation by visiting the Lights of Hope website and following the Donate Here link. Visit: http://lightsofhope.helpstpauls.com/