Specialists in Caring Summary: Volunteer group has raised more than $5.7 million for Hospital to fund building projects and new equipment
Mather Hospital’s Auxiliary marked its 65th anniversary on May 5, 2014 with a proclamation from Brookhaven Town Supervisor Edward P. Romaine, who declared it "Mather Hospital Auxiliary Day" in the town.
Since its founding, the volunteer group has raised more than $5.7 million for the Hospital through its Thrift Shop, Gift Shop and other fundraising activities. In recent years, the Auxiliary helped to fund the acquisition of the Hospital’s 320-slice CT scanner and has pledged $1 million to the current building expansion, which will accommodate a new 35 single-bedded patient care unit, offices and teaching facilities for Mather’s new Graduate Medical Education program and a state-of-the-art conference center. In April, the Auxiliary presented a check for $213,000 to the Hospital toward that goal.
stopped by the Hospital last week to present the proclamation to the Auxiliary and to thank the volunteers for their years of service to Mather and to the community.
"I commend the Mather Hospital Auxiliary volunteers who give so much of their time to help those in the community who need it most," Romaine said in presenting the proclamation to the Auxiliary at the Hospital. "We all owe them a debt of gratitude for their dedication and service."
It was at the request of Myrtle De Young, Mather’s first administrator, that a group of ladies held a meeting on May 5, 1949 to start an Auxiliary to raise funds for the support of the Hospital. Most of these ladies were doctors’ wives. June Shea was elected the Auxiliary’s first president. To raise money, the Auxiliary held card parties, member bridge parties, buffet/dances, square dances, rallies, fashion shows, luncheons and teas.
Today the group runs a very successful Thrift Shop and Gift Shop and holds lobby sales, plant sales, raffles and other special events.
In 1958, the Auxiliary started Mather’s Volunteer program. Since that time, Mather Volunteers have given more than three million hours of service with more than 40,000 hours given in 2013 alone.
John T. Mather Memorial Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high quality healthcare services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion and respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones.
Photo caption: Brookhaven Supervisor Edward P. Romaine (back row, center) presented the Mather hospital Auxiliary with a proclamation declaring May 5, 2014 as “Mather Hospital Auxiliary Day” in recognition of the group’s 65th anniversary. Auxiliary President Ida Forstel (front row, center) holds the proclamation. Mather President Kenneth Roberts (back row left) and Chairman Kenneth Jacoppi (back row right) joined with Auxilians and Volunteers.