Thank you Jamie Stephens
When it comes to providing e
ntertainment for the Brant County community, Jamie Stephens likes to provide his patrons with unique events that boost tourism for our local community and ensure they are getting the best bang for their buck. So when it came to choosing a charity to partner with, Stephens immediately thought of the Brant Community Healthcare System (BCHS) Foundation because he felt the dollars would do the most good for the most people.
Since 2012, Jamie Stephens Events has partnered with the BCHS Foundation on a variety of successful events, including the incredibly popular Brantford Comedy Festival, to help raise funds for local healthcare.
When asked what motivates him to give back, he says that partnering with the BCHS Foundation allows him to help the people that support him and his events, as the hospital impacts everyone in our community for so many different healthcare needs and services each day.
“I was born at The Brantford General and loved ones have accessed services here. I know how important it is to support our hospital because people use it at all stages of life,” he said. “It’s an all-in-one charity and I feel good about supporting healthcare so that it will be there for all of us when we need it.”
The partnership has continued to grow over time, offering the BCHS Foundation a valued opportunity to raise funds and just as important, awareness. Well-recognized for his commitment to support local, Jamie Stephens uses his marketing and networking talent to raise BCHS Foundation branding with new audiences and help showcase the urgent need for donor dollars to purchase patient equipment for our local hospitals.
Stephens offers many ways for the BCHS Foundation to raise funds at his events, including proceeds from 50/50 draws, selling tickets and receiving a portion of sales, and allowing the BCHS Foundation to offer exclusive sponsorship.
“Jamie is a compassionate and generous community leader,” said Sherri Bocchini, President & CEO at the BCHS Foundation. “We are truly grateful for Jamie choosing the BCHS Foundation as his charity of choice.”
The Brantford Comedy Festival has grown into a world-class entertainment event that has seen some of the biggest names in comedy perform in Brantford. The 2015 Festival begins August 20th with The Rising Star Competition, held every Thursday for six weeks at the Polish Hall on Pearl. Winners from the weekly competition battle it out on September 25th at the Rising Star Finale. The winner gets to open at The Gala Evening, which is always a sold-out event of 1,100 people, held at the Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts on Saturday, September 26th. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.brantfordcomedy.com.
This year, the Festival will welcome audience favorites with co-headliners Nikki Payne and Debra DiGiovanni and also includes outstanding Canadian comics K. Trevor Wilson, Arthur Simeon, Frank Spadone and Nile Seguin. Audience members will even get the chance to meet some of the talent at the newly-added VIP After-Party.
Jamie has also supported the BCHS Foundation with a portion of the proceeds of what he calls “one-off” shows, such as the Adam Growe Quiz Show and Those Damn Divas, now in its fourth year. He has also brought famous comedians Steven Wright, Brent Butt and Shaun Majumder to sold-out audiences.
“Jamie gives from his heart,” said Amanda Kwist, Community Development Assistant at the BCHS Foundation who works closely with Jamie for his events. “He inspires and motivates others by his willingness to give back through his success.”
Over the years of the partnership, the success of the events has allowed Jamie Stephens Events to contribute thousands of dollars to the BCHS Foundation, which in turn helps to purchase much-needed equipment for both The Brantford General and The Willett, Paris.
“The team here, we get along really well,” said Jamie, adding the BCHS Foundation staff allow him freedom of control with the show, but fully support him with organizing and marketing the event.
Partnering with organizations and individuals in the community helps the BCHS Foundation to generate funds that are used to fulfill top priority needs. The patient equipment urgently needed is not just the “nice-to-have”, but essential, much-needed equipment required to perform daily medical diagnostics and care for our patients. Items such as ventilators, critical care beds, and vital sign monitors are all being funded through the generosity of donor dollars.
The Brantford General is a 250-bed, acute care facility, providing all of Brantford and Brant County’s specialty programs and services for the 120,000 residents. The Willett, Paris is a multiservice healthcare centre with a daily Urgent Care department as well as a state-of-the-art Diagnostic Imaging Service.
The Brant Community Healthcare System is a regional centre for Paediatrics, Mental Health, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, CT Scanning, Critical Care, Surgical Services, Ambulatory Care and Emergency Medicine. It is also the site of the Brant Community Cancer Clinic and the SC Johnson Dialysis Clinic for patients throughout Brant County and Haldimand-Norfolk.
More than 175 physicians and 26 members of the department of Dentistry use the facilities and there are over 1,250 highly trained staff and more than 500 dedicated volunteers at the sites.