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Posted By CHELSEY ROMAIN, THE DAILY PRESS

Diamonds are known to be a girl's best friend, but one in particular is providing huge benefit to the Timmins & District Hospital.

The hospital's foundation unveiled its latest raffle item, in all its clarity and quality, Monday -- a one carat princess of hearts cut diamond, one of the first to be mined and processed from the De Beers Canada Victor Mine.

All proceeds from the raffle go to help the foundation reach its multi-million goal as part of the "Give...for the health of it" campaign.

"This is a fantastic thing for us because it will bring us into the final grasp of our $5-million goal," said campaign co-chairman Gabriel Provost. "This will be my last sale for the Timmins & District Hospital."

A diamond roughly the same size and clarity was on hand during the announcement, brought out by employees of Brinks Canada. The `actual diamond was only recently cut and polished and is currently on its way to Timmins.

"I'm very proud to be here today to announce the donation of a Victor diamond to the Timmins & District Hospital Foundation," said De Beers communications co-ordinator Heather Duhn, adding that the diamond has a value of approximately $20,000.

"At the De Beers Canada Victor Mine, we place great importance on health and safety and Timmins and District Hospital is our referral hospital for our employees.

"It was a natural fit for us to support them in their fundraising campaign."

Duhn said that while this is the first donation of its kind, two more Victor stones will be donated over the next year. One will be used to help raise funds to help the Attawapiskat First Nation, which is the closest community to the Victor site, and a third to be announced in the near future.

"With the recent opening of Crossworks Manufacturing, we now have access to Victor stones that have been mined in Northern Ontario and cut and polished in the North," Duhn said.

The winner of the diamond not only receives the stone itself, but a day trip to the Victor site as well as mounting up to $1,000 donated by Cousineau Fine Jewellery.

Packages of five tickets can be purchased for $900 or individual tickets can be purchased for $200 each. Only 100 packages or 500 tickets will be sold.

"When you raise $5 million for something you have to come up with several types of ideas," said Provost, adding that many people have come in to offer up ideas. "This is very different.

"What we've been doing for the past three years is selling, selling, selling and you need to bring in different ideas."

The foundation hopes this particular idea will bring in upwards of $80,000 to $85,000 after other costs are taken care of, but it would depend how the tickets are purchased. Should all the tickets be sold individually, the foundation would make more money.

"It's not just the one carat diamond," Provost said. "They are also getting a mounting, where they have a ring or a pendent and a trip to the Victor Mine where they will show you where your diamond comes from and that's something new and different."

Because the winner of the diamond will be drawn on Dec. 16, Provost said it's the perfect opportunity at a time when many people get engaged or married.

The money raised through the "Give...for the health of it" campaign goes toward the renovations of the operating rooms as well as the expansion of the hospital's dialysis unit.

Those interested can purchase tickets at the Timmins and District Hospital Foundation office, by calling 360-6039 or by visiting www.tdhfoundation.com.

The price of the ticket also includes the wine and cheese event at the Shania Twain Centre where the draw will be held on Dec. 16 at 8 p. m.

http://www.timminspress.com/Article....aspx?e=2137819