Donations were flowing at the northern lights-themed 36th annual hospital foundation gala in Maple Ridge. 

Early numbers indicate that $228,000 was raised at the event that was presented by the Jourdain family. 

However, Deanna Lackey with the foundation, who co-chaired the gala committee with Lucy Meechan, said donations were down significantly from what they have seen in years past. 

The evening started with a champagne reception and was followed by a gourmet dinner.

There were 223 tickets sold for the gala this year and a twist on the live auction was a huge success. 

This year they held a Golden Ticket Raffle, where 100 tickets were sold at $100 each. One of those tickets was drawn and the winner had the choice of taking home one of the nine items that were set to be auctioned off in the live auction – items and packages that usually go for thousands of dollars. 

"Suddenly it makes the live auction achievable for anybody in the room," said Lackey.

All the tickets were sold, said Lackey, raising $10,000. 

The 'From the Heart' fundraiser, specifically aimed to support the hospital's medical Imaging department’s need for a state-of-the-art ultrasound and biopsy intervention machine, which comes with a price tag of $146,000.

"This advanced equipment will significantly enhance our diagnostic capabilities and streamline processes within our hospital," explained the foundation online.

A bequest from a generous donor of 100,000, brought their fundraising efforts down to the remaining $46,000.

"We came fairly close in the room that night to achieving that," said Lackey, noting they will continue fundraising for the final couple of thousand.