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STURGIS, SD –The Sturgis Regional Hospital (STRH) Auxiliary is active in its support of the hospital, senior care, and community by raising funds and creating awareness of hospital and senior care endeavors. Members include men and women from all walks of life who give their time, ideas, and effort through various activities such as special events for the community, staff, and senior care residents. For these reasons and more, STRH is recognizing and celebrating the Auxiliaries’ accomplishments during Volunteer Week, April 18-24.
This past year, the Auxiliary scholarship program contributed $500 to three high school seniors. It also promotes blood drives four times a year at the Community Center and sponsors bingo for the Sturgis Regional Senior Care (STRSC) residents once a month. The Fall Festival is the groups’ main fundraiser. In the past three years, money raised at the festival has been used to update furnishings in STRSC rooms. Matching funds with the Greater Sturgis Life Care Foundation, they have been able to renovate a number of resident’s rooms. Other beneficiaries of the Auxilians generosity include the Sturgis Senior Citizens, Prairie Hills Transit, and the Women’s Crisis Center.
The Auxilians next activities include providing a healthy lunch at the Sturgis Health Fair on Wednesday, April 28, and hosting an Open House in the Specialty Clinic at STRH on Sunday, June 6, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“We gladly give our time and effort to help raise money for projects for which other sources of funding is not available,” said Janice Nequette, Sturgis Regional Hospital Auxiliary President.
One standout Auxilian is Joan Bachmeier, who has been an Auxilian for seven years and an Auxiliary president for four of them. She currently chairs the Bingo and Membership committees. She was instrumental in the Sturgis Arts Council plays, providing birdseed for the senior care residents, arranging for the sale of bulk peaches, and many other endeavors.
“Bachmeier has been an asset to the Auxiliary and has been chosen to represent our Auxiliary at the state level as our Outstanding Auxilian of the Year this past year. She currently holds the title of state president of all of the Auxiliaries in the state for the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Auxiliaries (SDAHA),” Nequette said.
Auxiliary members can be as active as they like. Some simply receive the Auxiliary newsletter while others serve on committees or volunteer on a schedule which accommodates their busy lives.
If you are interested in volunteering or becoming a member of the Sturgis Regional Hospital Auxiliary, call President Janice Nequette, at (605) 720-3388, or Membership Chair Joan Bachmeier, at (605) 347-5815.
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