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Vail Valley Medical Center volunteers honored

Annah Scully
Vail, CO Colorado
Marti Waneka/Special to the Vail DailyNew Vail Valley Medical Center Volunteer Corps board members: Susan Balcomb, Dick Woodrow, Susan Olmstead, Marilyn Gill, Jody Burnette, Sheri Ball
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VAIL, Colorado –The Vail Valley is known for its community spirit, and nothing represents that spirit more than the Vail Valley Medical Center Volunteer Corps. It was their turn to be honored at the Volunteer Corps Board Installation Luncheon at Ludwig’s Terrace at the Sonnenalp Hotel in Vail on June 18.

This event brought together past and present board members and officers to spotlight their mission of supporting the highest level of compassionate patient-centered care at Vail Valley Medical Center facilities.

In attendance was the new CEO of the Vail Valley Medical Center, John Cassin. His laryngitis hindered his ability to give long speeches but did not diminish his appreciation for the service these volunteers provide. On a yearly basis, 250 volunteers give back to the medical center more than 10,000 service hours and help raise more than $50,000.



Other notables at the event included Dick Woodrow, who is the president of the corps and the only male in a fleet of philanthropic females.

According to volunteer Marti Waneka, “Dick is always keeping us on task during our meetings saying, ‘Ladies, ladies! Back to work. Now instead of our meetings taking two hours, it only takes one.”

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The Volunteer Corps initially focused their efforts on fundraising for the hospital, including the highly successful Volunteer Corps Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon held annually in the spring. Now this grass-roots group of giant-hearted locals has allso become instrumental in assisting patients, guests, and staff at the medical center, Shaw Regional Cancer Center, the Sonnenalp Breast Diagnostic Imaging Center and the Beaver Creek emergency department on a daily basis.

Their areas of Service include:

– Vail Valley Medical Center information desk.

– Shaw Regional Cancer Center information desk.

– Gift shop at the medical center.

– Emergency department at the Vail hospital and Beaver Creek (winter months).

– Hospitality cart.

– Arts in Healing program.

Past presidents attending included Andy Searles, Cathy Douglas, Ivylyn Scott, Sandy Jacaruso, Pat Cole and Marilyn Hopson.

New board members installed this year featured President Dick Woodrow, First Vice President Liz Stern, Second Vice President Sheri Ball, Treasurer Susan Balcomb, Assistant Treasurer Jody Burnette, and Recording Secretary Marilyn Gill. Corresponding Secretary Susan Olmstead.

The VolunteerCorps will host a summer bake sale and jewelry sale to in the lobby of the medical center Thursday, July 2. All proceeds from the bake sale will be donated toward the purchase of 10 new infusion chairs for the Shaw Cancer Center. Other fundraising activities will help purchase a new PET/CT scanner for the Shaw Regional Cancer Center.

For information to become a volunteer, call Amanda Visosky at 970-479-5068 or visit http://www.vvmc.com and go to Volunteer Corps.

Annah Scully, a local since1980, is the founder and executive director of the Vail Performing Arts Academy. Contact her at 970-926 2370 or annah.scully@comcast.net. Visit http://www.vailperformingarts.com


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