(Image Credit: Medicine Hat College)

By Jett Schwaier

PJs for a Purpose

MHC students raised $22K to create woodland-themed pediatric room for young patients

Apr 2, 2026 | 2:19 PM

A new woodland-themed room for young patients is now open at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, created through the PJs for a Purpose campaign, a student-led fundraiser at Medicine Hat College in partnership with the Medicine Hat Health Foundation.

The campaign raised over $22,000 raised in total.

The goal of the project was to help make hospital visits less stressful for children by creating a more welcoming and comforting environment.

The initiative encouraged students, businesses and residents across Medicine Hat and surrounding communities to donate between two and five dollars in exchange for wearing pyjamas for a day, with proceeds going toward the creation of a themed pediatric room.

Second-year student of Sport and Event Marketing and Management at Medicine Hat College, Kathleen Donaldson, who was part of the project’s outreach committee, said she hopes to continue the initiative in the future to expand themed spaces for pediatric patients through ongoing community support.

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“No child likes going to the hospital, so making those spaces more welcoming can make a big difference,” Donaldson said

Donaldson said the class was divided into teams to promote the campaign through schools, local businesses and online platforms.

“There was a school and education outreach group, others worked with local businesses, and we also did online and social media marketing,” Donaldson said.

The project gave students hands-on experience in marketing and community engagement.

“We met twice a week to plan, share updates and figure out which places needed to be approached. It was a lot of work, but really rewarding to see the community come together for this cause,” Donaldson said.

The campaign’s success came from business contributions, community donations and a raffle.

“Schools were so helpful with this. Alone, the schools raised almost $10,000,” Donaldson said.

“That’s schools from within Medicine Hat and the surrounding area, and the rest came from other donations, from the Cubs games, from businesses.”