At an awards mixer Wednesday night, Emanuel Medical Center honored the top community and employee volunteer fundraisers – the people who raised the most during the hospital’s successful six-week annual giving campaign.
All together, volunteers raised more than $1,007,000 during the campaign, called Legacy Circle, to expand advanced cardiac care at the hospital so no one with a heart-related medical need will have to be transported out of town for treatment.
In this year’s campaign, community volunteers raised $691,013. In addition, employee volunteers brought in $313,755 – the most raised by employees in the 10-year history of Legacy Circle.
“All of our volunteers were just wonderful this year,” said Jana Rhine, Emanuel’s director of annual giving. “Our community volunteers, employees and the hundreds and hundreds of donors to Legacy Circle truly embraced Emanuel’s effort to bring state-of-the-art cardiac care to our community.”
Top community producers and the amounts they raised were:
Jeani and John Ferrari of Turlock, $50,100; Christopher Freeberg of Hilmar, $40,100; Judi Honore’ of Hilmar, $38,850; Dr. Harold Tabaie of Turlock, $34,000; Teri Guess of Denair, $27,000; Gary and Cecelia Almeida of Denair, $26,750; Kirk and Jennifer Larson of Turlock, $25,700; Bill and Cindy Gibbs of Turlock, $23,040; Alan and Diane Tate of Turlock, $22,250; and Peter and Jeanine Gemperle of Hilmar, $21,350.
Top employee fundraisers and the amounts they raised were:
Debbie Martin of Turlock, $23,300; Ken Gomes of Turlock, $23,052; Terrie King of Turlock, $18,386; Linda Burrows of Modesto, $15,801; Pamela Parker of Turlock, $14,656; Toni Jardine of Hughson, $9,600; Renee Pimentel of Hilmar, $8,300; Beth Adams of Turlock, $7,188; Dr. David Canton of Patterson, $6,550; and Judy Roberts of Turlock, $6,477.
In addition to the money they raised through Legacy Circle, the Ferraris also donated an additional $500,000 – money they had pledged to contribute if Legacy Circle volunteers raised $1 million during the campaign’s first year.
“It’s generosity like this that defines our community,” said Shirley Pok, Emanuel’s vice president of development. “But it’s not just the large donations. It’s also all the people who gave what they could, even $100 in this difficult economy, who helped us achieve this monumental goal.”
Emanuel’s heart program began with the opening of the Cardiac Cath & Interventional Lab in April, and will expand with a newly renovated cardiac operating room that will allow open-heart surgery to begin in early 2011. In late 2012, two state-of-the-art cardiac operating suites are scheduled to open, and the final vision for the project is to develop a dedicated space consolidating all of Emanuel’s cardiovascular services.
Legacy Circle volunteers and donors are supporting the program by committing to raise $1 million a year for five straight years.
“We have accomplished year one of our goal and have four years to go,” Pok said. “And our community is excited about the future.”
