An upcoming fundraising campaign for a new MRI machine at Shuswap Lake General Hospital got off to a Bollywood Bang.
Once again, the biennial Salmon Arm Bollywood Bang fundraiser for the Shuswap Hospital Foundation (SHF) exceeded expectations. While still working on the total raised from the May 10 event at Hucul Pond in Rogers Rink, co-organizer Sunny Dhaliwal said it looked to be north of $400,000. Most of this will be going to SHF for the future purchase of an MRI machine and related expenses of having it installed.
"That was the big announcement, Interior Health approved Salmon Arm can get an MRI if we can get all the funds.. .. so that was the first fundraiser for the new MRI machine," said Dhaliwal.
SHF director of development Fiona Harris explained the total cost of the project has yet to be determined. When it is, the fundraising campaign will commence, with the money donated from this year's Bollywood Bang going towards the amount.
Dhaliwal said $50,000 of the money raised will go to Salmon Arm's Daybreak Rotary Club, whose members are a part of the event from start to finish.
"Chris Davis leads it from their side," said Dhaliwal. "He鈥檚 the Rotary lead on this project and he works with us for months setting up the team and what we鈥檙e going to do, and everything just goes super smooth."
Dhaliwal called this year's event an "insane hit" that brought 550 people together for a night that proved a feast for the senses.
"We had 550 people, we had two different catering companies, we had food all night, we had a crazy dance party for three and a half hours, the dance floor was completely packed," said Dhaliwal, who credited Salmon Arm's generous business community and sponsors for their vital role in the success of the event.
"We had so many generous sponsors, we had for example, Cahoots Kitchen donate a party for 150 people and it was going for $16,000, and then he donated another one so the second place bidder also got one," said Dhaliwal. "We had lots of double ups like that which made the event way over the top."
The City Furniture owner started the Salmon Arm Bollywood Bang in 2019 with Mark Schneider of Jacobson Ford. With the popularity of the event, the Dhaliwal and Schneider families wound up moving it from the SASCU Recreation Centre auditorium to Hucul Pond. Dhaliwal said the three events held to date have raised close to $1 million for the hospital foundation.
"We have a team of 8-10 core people that put it all together鈥� we take this on and every time we do it it consumes us for three months, every single day," said Dhaliwal. "I鈥檓 just so shocked we pulled it off again."
Those eager to take part in the next Bollywood Bang in 2027 can expect a different look to the event.
"They鈥檝e all been kind of different themes and different looks, and our next one we鈥檙e going for drastic change of look," said Dhaliwal. "I鈥檓 not really a decorator but just the vibe and how we create it, we just want to keep changing, keep people really interested in it and coming out with that same type of outcome."
Photos from this year's Bollywood Bang can be found on the .
