The Dr. Noble Irwin Regional Healthcare Foundation has announced that they have had some help in completing one of their most ambitious fundraisers in their 20 years in southwest Saskatchewan.

The Cypress Regional Medical Association donated $10,000 towards Dr. Noble's goal of $350,000 towards the purchase of a digital mammography machine.

Part of the foundation's Close to the Heart fundraising campaign, the money brings the total funds raised for the machine to between $285,000-$290,000.

The machine will be placed in the Cypress Regional Hospital and supplement the early detection of breast cancer.

Jim Dekowny, the executive director of the non-profit, was appreciative of more than just the donation made.

"It's more of the relationship building with those doctors, and there's just so much more that I think the two groups can accomplish."

He spoke about being wanting to share the stories of doctors and patients and success stories in the medical field, hoping to share the strengthen local healthcare and the public's faith in it as a byproduct.

The Cypress Regional Medical Association members populate medical facilities around southwest Saskatchewan with medical officials.

Dekowny said that it was thanks to the dedicated medical professionals as well as all of southwest Saskatchewan that they are as close as they are to their goal.

"It's great that the doctors and the medical association has stepped up and helped us with this, because I just think it proves that they're putting all there in efforts in as well. Not only are they seeing patient after patient, doing ER stuff, saving lives, they are putting their money where their mouth is," he said with a laugh.

"It not only helps them in their work every day, but it's going to help the patients, and it's going to help the people of the southwest," he explained. "We're going to have a state of the art digital mammography unit here because of lots of people."

He added that businesses, residents, and organizations have helped

The foundation's fundraising efforts continue with March 28's A Taste of the Arts in Shaunavon, as well as their 4th Annual Black Tie NHL Playoff Hockey Draft April 6.

At A Taste of the Arts, culinary artists and liquor creators will be in attendance to stun taste buds and raise money for a good cause.

Also in attendance at that event will be Swift Current MLA Everett Hindley and his wife, Anita. Anita is a breast cancer survivor who will be speaking at the event.

Dekowny believes that those two events will put them close to their goal.

While they don't have a deadline for the project, they hope to conclude the campaign by the end of the summer.