Auxiliary fulfills role as ambassador between hospital and community

By Kristine Thomas

They raise money to buy equipment for Silverton Hospital and sew anatomy dolls for children who are having surgery. They plan and host fundraisers. They greet visitors and patients at the hospital, manage the gift shop and espresso bar, and award scholarships to students pursuing medical careers.

And that’s only a snippet of the volunteer work done by the Silverton Hospital Auxiliary members.

For 50 years, Silverton Hospital Auxiliary members have provided a priceless service to their community, said Judy Schmidt, Silverton Hospital’s director of volunteer services.

Silverton Hospital is hosting an open house to recognize and honor the half-century of service by the auxiliary Aug. 6, 2 – 4 p.m. at Silverton Hospital’s Family Birth Center Conference Room 2. Present and past auxiliary members as well as community members are invited to the celebration.

“Since the 1980s, the auxiliary members have donated more than $500,000 to the hospital,” Schmidt said. “It’s hard to put a value on the many years of service by auxiliary members. They are wonderful ambassadors for the hospital because they share what we are doing and they provide us input on what the community needs in its hospital.”

Elmer Valkenaar is the group’s president. He chuckles at the misconception the group is solely comprised of women. When the group started in 1958, its first president was John Middlemiss.

“There are about 10 or 12 men who are members, and then all the men who help their wives,” Valkenaar said.

He joined after encouragement from his wife, Lolita, who has been a member for 16 years.

“I joined because I figured if there is something I can do to help out, I’ll do it,” he said.

The Valkenaars organize the annual ping-pong ball race at Homer Davenport Days.

Elmer Valkenaar is well-known for wearing a lady’s bathing suit and hat and wading into Silver Creek to retrieve the winning ping-pong balls.

“One of the most important things the auxiliary does is to raise money for Silverton Hospital. We raise money in many ways from the ping-pong ball race to the annual holiday dinner dance,” he said. “This year, we gave the hospital $35,000 to expand the emergency room and last year we gave $35,000 to purchase the 64-slice CT scanner.”

He encourages other people to join the auxiliary, adding there’s something for everyone to do. The annual membership fee is $5. Everyone is welcome.

Elmer Valkenaar volunteers driving the hospital’s CareVan to take people to their doctor’s appointments and greets visitors to the hospital.

Lolita Valkenaar realized the importance of the hospital auxiliary when she worked as a nurse. After she retired, she joined the auxiliary.

“The auxiliary members perform many small tasks that help out the hospital in so many ways,” she said.

Andrea Walker hadn’t even moved to Silverton from Michigan when Betty Lou Wellman asked her to join the auxiliary.

“Betty Lou is the ambassador for the group,” Walker said. “She’s great at getting people to join. The next thing she says to you after hello is ‘do you want to join the auxiliary?’”

A member for 10 years, Walker is currently the group’s secretary. “I think the auxiliary is a great group of people doing something important for their community,” she said.

Betty Lou Wellman has been a member since the early 1970s. She recalled when she first joined, the group met in people’s homes with “about 15 people at a meeting.”

“Now, we meet at the hospital because we have more than 45 people at each meeting,” she said. “The auxiliary members are a wonderful group of people who serve the hospital. There’s not one bad apple in the bushel.”

Verlene Beard is the first vice president and a member for five years. Her mother, Verniece Meisenheimer, 90, has been a member for 40 years. “There’s something for everyone to do as an auxiliary member,” Beard said. “I have made many good friends through the auxiliary. It’s a chance to make a difference in your community.”