WILTON – The Franklin Memorial Hospital Auxiliary held its annual spring dinner meeting on June 2 at the Boiler Room Restaurant. There were approximately 40 members attending. Auxiliary President Trudy Dawson called the meeting to order with the reading of the Auxiliary Prayer.

The hospital gift shop manager, Janet Bagnulo, gave a report on sales in the gift shop. Millie Whittier, chairwoman of the memorial stone path fund-raiser, reported that 124 stones have been sold.

All but 58 have been placed in the Healing Garden, and they are now awaiting delivery of two more orders. There also will be a plaque placed at the beginning of the pathway that will inform visitors that the stones are in honor of or in memory of family members and/or friends.

Brochures for purchasing the stones are available outside the gift shop in the lobby. It is an ongoing project that they hope will not only be a lasting memorial for family and friends who purchase a stone for the garden, but will also continue to be a good fund-raising project for the Auxiliary.

Auxiliary Assistant Treasurer Betty Levesque and Whittier presented a $2,000 check to hospital liaison Tom Hagerstrom to be used to further develop the Healing Garden with flowers, plants and shrubs.

Scholarship Committee Chairwoman Emily Floyd announced the scholarship recipients for 2005-2006. They are Amanda Coffin, Strong; Melissa Hupper, Kingfield; Deedra Berkey, Wilton; Claudia Avery, Strong; Michael Smith, Temple; and Amy Belanger, Farmington.

Each year the Auxiliary offers six $500 scholarships to students of the area who are pursuing a career in the health care field. This year committee members Emily Floyd and Carolee Caldwell received 26 applications.

Membership Committee Chairwoman Millie Whittier reported that they have approximately 160 members, and she reminded all that dues are due. She also asked members to invite friends and relatives to become members of the Auxiliary, and if anyone is interested in becoming a member, they may contact Whittier.

Nominations Committee Chairwoman Kitty McDonald presented the slate of officers for 2005-2006. Tom Hagerstrom performed the installation of officers, including Trudy Dawson, president; Mary Harris, vice president; Lois Smith, secretary; Judy Farrington, treasurer; and Betty Levesque, assistant treasurer.

Dawson reported on the Auxiliary’s latest fund-raiser, Bag Ali, a two-day sale of bags in all colors, shapes, sizes and material. The Auxiliary realized a profit of $909 from the sale and they plan to hold one again next year, perhaps before Mother’s Day, according to Dawson.

The Auxiliary will hold a kayak raffle this year. The kayak will be on display in the hospital lobby during July and August and will be displayed in the FMH booth at Franklin County Fair in September. The drawing will be held the last evening of the fair.

Tickets are $1 each or six tickets for $5. Members will receive tickets through their monthly newsletter, The Branch, put out by member Priscilla Smith.

Dawson presented Tom Hagerstrom, hospital director of human resources, and Maureen Goudreau, director of development, with a check for $25,000 from the Auxiliary, to be used for the purchase of a Neonatal Stabilette in OBS/Pediatrics and for an electro surgical unit in day surgery.

After the meeting adjourned, the speaker, Roger Spear, CFO at the University of Maine at Farmington, presented a program on the growth of the college over the years, and its involvement with the community.

Spear said he had been with UMF for 39 years, but actually his involvement with the college began when he was 5 years old and attended nursery school. The meeting concluded with a dinner.

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