The William W. Backus Hospital Annual Report 2006
Choose Wisely, Choose Backus.

Report from the William W. Backus Hospital Auxiliary

Jamie Block, Auxiliary President

Nearly everywhere you look at The William W.Backus Hospital, you can see signs of our Auxiliary.

We are there in the Gift Shop, seven days a week. We are on patient floors, providing the gift cart of useful items, and tray favors for special occasions. We are in the patients' homes, through Backus Buddies for youngsters, and "cure-chiefs"and camisoles for cancer patients. We make sure the vending-area canteens are stocked, and arrange vendor sales for staff and visitors. We are even inside wallets, on refrigerators and in medicine cabinets, with our File of Life medical profile cards.

But perhaps nowhere is the Auxiliary more important than in the BackusCare expansion project that is taking place all around the hospital campus. The Auxiliary has just made the second installment of its $600,000, five-year pledge to the capital campaign in support of this effort. That degree of commitment speaks volumes about the Auxiliary's role in Backus Hospital and its future. For the past two years, I have had the privilege of serving as Auxiliary President. In that time, I have come to know even more deeply how much Auxilians care about this great institution.

That care is evident in the hard work that goes into operating the programs that allow us to raise funds for the hospital. But you can also see our spirit in the fun and camaraderie at our largest fund-raising event, the annual Mini-Golf Tournament at Odetah Campground in Bozrah.And you can sense it, too,when we gather to present two $2,000 scholarships to high school students who are pursuing studies in a healthrelated field.

As my rewarding term as Auxiliary President concludes, I want to extend my sincere thanks to Auxiliary officers, chairpersons of our Standing Committees, our employees and many volunteers Ñ and everyone who supports us in our events and fund-raising. I also extend my very best to incoming Auxiliary President Janice Stewart.

Our Auxiliary has always been there to assist Backus Hospital. Thanks to Auxilians'efforts, and community support, the Backus Auxiliary will continue to be there, everywhere you look at our community hospital.

Jamie Block,
Auxiliary President