Cathy Couey, a long-time High River District Health Care Foundation employee, is feeling the love this week.

She's celebrating 25 years with the organization as their Fund Development and Communications Officer.

Numerous accolades have already been shared on their Facebook page with more pouring in daily.

Couey, not one for the spotlight, says it's been very humbling.

"It's all just kind of overwhelming, it's very endearing and I'm incredibly grateful and obviously appreciative of the comments that have been showing up to celebrate my 25 years. It's incredibly moving, as you can imagine, as well."

She says it's been a time to reflect and remember how grateful she is.

"But you know what, I consider myself incredibly lucky to been able to do work that I love for this long. And that we've been able to make a difference here means the world to me."

One of the highlights for Couey over the last 25 years is the annual fundraising dinner auction gala the foundation put on, with last year's hitting it out of the park.

"I'm going to have to say last year's gala hit so many goals. For the first dinner auction, I was literally hired three or four weeks before the event and so it was 'feet into the fire' but I think you know we might've raised 20 or $25,000 and we topped $200,000 in one night this past year. Never anticipated that."

Another very significant highlight is the successful campaign to build the cancer centre.

"Never in my mind did I ever think we would do a million-dollar-plus capital campaign in a small office like this. And when I say 'we' I want to make sure that the 'we' is the community. We are the vessel that communicates and emphasizes the needs but it's the community that makes it all happen. And we not only did that, we surpassed our goal through 2013 and we now have this amazing cancer centre that we hear some many accolades about. But there's been so many projects that have been smaller but just as meaningful because they impact the patients so dramatically."

As for when the next big gala is coming up and what this year's theme will be.

"Well, we're not going to reveal too much but the 36th annual is coming up in October. We'll be back here in High River; the bar was set pretty high back in Nanton [in 2023]. The committee is working on a pretty fun night. I look forward to leaking out more details soon."

Feel free to share your accolades for Couey on their Facebook page.