FTMC Employees Open their Hearts to Haiti Earthquake Victims
02/19/2010 Fisher-Titus Medical
Center has contributed $31,774 to the American Red Cross – Haiti Relief following a unique two-week fundraising effort
sponsored by the Medical
Center's Employee
Advisory Group. The donation included employee contributions that were matched
by the Medical Center.
"As soon
as Fisher-Titus Medical
Center employees heard news of
January's devastating earthquake in Haiti, they were asking how they
could help," said Lorna Strayer, FTMC’s vice president of business development.
"FTMC's Employee Advisory Group quickly organized a fundraising effort which
provided employees two options in donating.
Our
employees whole-heartedly responded, donating $15,887.22 for the Red Cross
Haiti Relief Fund."
The
employees' fundraiser included a special arrangement allowing FTMC staff to
contribute up to eight hours of their "banked" vacation time (Paid Time Off) to
the fund.
FTMC
employees contributed more than 650 hours of Paid Time Off (PTO) valued at $12,847.29
and gave $3,039.93 in cash to help Haiti's earthquake victims. The Medical Center then matched the employees' total
$15,887.22
donation.
According
to Ron Rude, executive director of the Firelands Chapter of the American Red
Cross, FTMC's donation doubles what had been donated to the local Red Cross to
date.
Rude
met with members of FTMC's Employee Advisory Group to accept the donation and
to update the group about the Red Cross’s efforts so far.
As
of Feb. 10, the Red Cross has received $255 million for Haiti relief
and recovery efforts. Of those donations, $80 million has already been
committed or spent to meet the most urgent needs of the earthquake survivors.
Approximately 69 percent of that has been for food and water; 20 percent for
shelter; and the rest for health and family services.
"The
outpouring of support from our staff has been tremendous," FTMC President
Patrick J. Martin said. "Our Fisher-Titus 'family' has always been very
generous and supportive of many, many needs at the local level. Once again
their response to a disaster outside our own community shows their concern and
eagerness to
lend assistance to the victims of these national and international
tragedies."
This
current fundraiser is not the first time employees contributed during national
and international disasters. In past years, the FTMC family gave $36,562 to
help Hurricane Katrina victims, donated $28,508 for victims of the Sept. 11,
2001 national tragedy and contributed $20,281 to the American Red Cross Tsunami
Relief Fund.
Ron
Rude, executive director of the Firelands Chapter of the American Red Cross,
accepts a check for American Red
Cross – Haiti Relief from
representatives of Fisher-Titus
Medical Center's
Employee Advisory Group. The donation, totaling more than $31,774, included
employee contributions that were matched by the Medical Center.
Pictured from left to right are FTMC Employee Advisory Group members Deb
Anderson, Laboratory; Lisa Myatt, Rehabilitation; Ron Rude, American Red Cross;
Brandi Bartley, Nursing; Janice Salata, Laboratory; Connie Young, Accounting
Services; and Ann Rinner, Health Information Management.
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