Team Young Supports East Kootenay NICU with $10,000 donation
October 29, 2026
Kootenay’s Team Young, including Mitch Young, Steve Tersmette, Blair Jarvis and Kevin Hoglund, have supported the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital after winning the Canadian Men’s Curling Club Championships in Winnipeg last November.
The $10,000 donation comes from the Sandra Schmirler Foundation. Since 2001, the Sandra Schmirler Foundation has granted millions of dollars to hospitals in every province and territory, to purchase life-saving equipment for thousands of premature and critically ill babies and their families. Giving critically ill newborns the chance to grow up to be champions like Sandra is an important way the Sandra Schmirler Foundation ensures Sandra’s courage and character live on.
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit opened in the East Kootenay last year. It gives specialized care to newborns 34 months and older, saving families of these premature babies from having to travel to larger centres like Kelowna. The NICU has had patients in it nearly every single day since the doors opened in November of 2025.
Team Young choose to support the local NICU when the Sandra Schmirler Foundation reached out to choose where to donate towards after winning the tournament. They say, “both Mitch and Steve’s children were born at the hospital in Cranbrook, BC and we couldn’t be happier to see these funds go to their facility to improve care for babies and new mothers. Thanks to Brenna at the EKFH for stick-handling the logistics on behalf of our team and the Sandra Schmirler Foundation.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Team Young and the Sandra Schmirler Foundation for this generous and meaningful contribution to our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The NICU is a vital resource for families throughout the East Kootenay, ensuring our tiniest and most vulnerable patients can receive critical care closer to home when they need it most. Support like this makes a real and lasting difference, not only in the care we can provide to these precious babies, but also in the lives of the families who depend on us during some of their most challenging moments. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Team Young and the Sandra Schmirler Foundation for helping strengthen neonatal care in our region and giving our youngest patients the best possible start in life,” commented Brenna Hong, Executive Director for the EKFH.
More information on how the Sandra Schmirler Foundation supports curling across Canada and the lives of babies born too soon, too small, too sick, or too far from advanced care can be found at sandraschmirler.org.