Staff writer
St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary presented a check for $26,000 to the St. Luke Hospital Foundation Thursday. Funding for the gift was provided by the proceeds from the St. Luke Auxiliary thrift store.
“We’re one of the largest contributors to the foundation,” auxiliary president Elora Robinson said. “It’s all due to the shop and the volunteers. We had over 18,629 volunteer hours this past year.”
The Auxiliary donated $65,000 the previous year, Robinson said. The St. Luke Auxiliary has 137 members, most of whom volunteer.
In other business:
- New members were elected to the auxiliary executive committee. Robinson returns as president, Mary Olson was named president elect, and Feebie Holdeman was elected vice president. Judy Dannefelser will secure the post of secretary, Eileen Sieger was named treasurer, and Judy Reno is past president. The unit II chairman is Janet Herzet, Joyce Richmond is in charge of the gift case, and Rosemary Garrard is the shop manager.
- Hospital Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Armstrong updated the board on the hospital’s budget. With expenses being 6 percent below budget, St. Luke made approximately $99,000 in February.
- Heartland Lions Eye Banks Hospital Service Coordinator Sylvia Reinhardt gave a presentation about organ donation, specifically cornea donation and how donations have saved many patients’ sight.
- Herzet reminded the board about Relay For Life of Marion County April 29 and 30 at Warrior Stadium, Marion; the Auxiliary has a 22-member relay team. The auxiliary is raising money by selling blarney stones — cubes of pound cake wrapped in icing and crushed peanuts — for $1 apiece, 6 for $5, or a dozen for $10.
The auxiliary board’s next meeting will be April 7.