What's Coming Up Next?

After the Bear Stuffing and Finishing Party we will be getting ready for the-

"Swing Into Spring" Pops Concert - Saturday, April 10, 2010

The Emerson Hospital Auxiliary is proud to present our 34th annual "Swing Into Spring" Pops Concert at Concord's historic Performing Arts Center. Conductor James O'Dell kicks off his second season with the Concord Band by welcoming jazz vocalist Amanda Carr. This year's audience will be treated to several new arrangements prepared for Ms. Carr by Music Director Emeritus, Dr. William McManus.

Please consider supporting this event by attending the concert, becoming a sponsor, or advertising in our program book. For ticket information contact the Auxiliary office at 978-287-3019. For advertising opportunities please contact our program book coordinator: Priscilla Gannon at: gannon.j@comcast.net.

We hope to see you there!

A Bear Stuffing and Finishing Party

The Emerson Hospital Auxiliary Presents
A Bear Stuffing and Finishing Party
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
The Haartz Corp
87 Hayward Road, Acton, Mass
9:30 am – noon
No Experience Required! We Will Provide Supplies!
Just Bring Your Fantastic Self!



Our Goal is to stuff and finish 75 Emerson Bears.
All 75 bears will be used in Pediatric Coping Kits which are distributed through the Pediatric Intervention Team.

We have room for 25 people, age 10+
Please RSVP to Wilma Johnson 781-275-6737

What's Happening Next?

We have a few exciting things coming up.

First, we have an Art Gallery Show planned for Friday, January 23rd. One of our featured artists is donating an original painting for our auction. Please read the full details in our earlier blog post.

Second, we have an Emerson Bear Stuffing and Finishing Party planned for Saturday, February 21st, in Acton, MA. We will meet at the Haartz Corp on 27 Hayward Rd from 9:30 to 11:30 am. Our goal is to finish 50 bears to be used in Emerson Hospital Coping Kits. No experience is necessary, just enthusiasm and compassion for helping pediatric patients cope with the stress of being a patient. Helpers need to be at least 10 years old. Please email us at emersonauxiliaryblog@gmail.com. We have room for 40 helpers.

Thirdly, our 33rd annual Spring Pops concert is planned for Saturday, April 4th, at 8:00 pm at the Friends of Performing Arts Center in Concord, MA. This is a popular event and has sold out the last two years running. Invitations go out the second week of February. If you don’t get one, email us at emersonauxiliaryblog@gmail.com, and we can send you an electronic copy of the ticket order form.

Hope to see you at one of these events.

Auxiliary Newsletter Winter 2009

Read our quarterly newsletter at:
http://www.emersonhospital.org/how/auxiliary/default.aspx

Clicking on the above link will take you to the Emerson Hospital website. Unfortunately you will need to click on a second link labeled Winter 2009. We hope you find the extra work worth the effort. Happy reading.

Emerson Hospital Auxiliary’s First Evening of Art and Artists

On Friday, January 23 from 7-9 PM, the Emerson Hospital Auxiliary has a brilliant evening planned for YOU featuring art, dessert, wine, and good company. This special event will be held adjacent to the art gallery, in the Hospital’s North Conference Room. Several painters and photographers will be featured, and are looking forward to discussing their work, style and inspiration with all of us. The gallery will showcase a selection of each artists’ offerings, including oil paintings, giclee prints, and photographs. The pieces will be available for purchase and reasonably priced, with proceeds to benefit the Auxiliary.

Come meet celebrated American Impressionist Jean Lightman of Concord, and talk with Harvard’s Kathy Williams with about her vibrant approach to oils. Our photography curators, Ashley and Peter Lund have assembled a wonderful selection of images from several accomplished local photographers. Those joining us to share their photographic insights during the evening will be Neil Tischler and Linda Williamson of Concord, Robert Moll of Chelmsford, Siobhan Theriault of Bedford, and Walter Harrington of Acton.

Please bring a friend to enjoy the evening and introduce to the Auxiliary! We are actively welcoming new candidates for membership, and there has never been a better time than now to bring someone aboard! Your fellow Auxilians will be on hand with information about our many initiatives, activities and opportunities.

Bring a Friend and Feast your Eyes at the Auxiliary’s First Evening of Art and Artists What a grand way to enjoy an evening out in the dark of winter – spending quality time with friends old and new, while delighting your eye with imagery from members of the Emerson Community!

Don’t think twice! RSVP now (or by January 20th) to Anne Lehmann at 978-318-0338 or annelehmann@comcast.net

Emerson Auxiliary Tree of Lights and Cookie Sale

A festive crowd braved the cold temperatures at Emerson Hospital Auxiliary’s annual Tree of Lights ceremony held on December 8th. The tradition of donating a light on the tree in memory of a loved one, to honor a special person, or to just celebrate the season continues to be a fun and beloved Auxiliary event. This year, the event raised roughly $4000 for the hospital.

Auxiliary President Denise Haartz kicked off the ceremony, followed by Emerson Hospital President and CEO Christine Schuster who reflected on this special time of year. After some prayers led by Emerson Chaplain Georgia Leiner, season songs were then performed by the vocal group Music Among Us of Bedford.

This year’s “Cookies-By-the-Pound “sale, held on December 17th, was also a recipe for success, yielding $1300 from sales of over 400 dozen cookies baked by Auxilians and the mothers and daughters of the National Charity League.

The Emerson Hospital Auxiliary supports Emerson Hospital through a wide variety of activities ranging from more intimate members-only gatherings to large events open to the public. If you like to organize, create, cook, network, write, edit, speak in public, or just contribute to your community, the Auxiliary welcomes your participation. Anyone interested in learning more about the Auxiliary should contact Karen McCarthy at 978-371-2133 for more information.

Emerson Auxiliary Making a Difference for Bethke Patients

Bethke Cancer Center offers our community the best in cancer care with expert, state-of-the art treatment and the latest technology. The Center strives to provide not only the best possible treatment, but also to do everything possible to give patients a caring and comfortable setting in which to undergo their treatment.

To support this effort, the Emerson Hospital Auxiliary recently donated $18,000 to the Bethke Cancer Center. This donation will support patient care programs. Along with this monetary donation however, the Auxiliary also felt it important to support patients directly. The comfort quilts gift program, which was started in 2005, donates quilts to cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation. For the year 2007-2008, 137 quilts were lovingly made and donated—bringing the total number of quilts donated to 326. Several quilt making individuals and groups contribute to this effort including Concord Piece-makers, Material Girls, and Wayside Quilters. Rosaria T. Colosi, a breast cancer survivor and Auxiliary member also contributed significantly to this effort.

This year, the Auxiliary also donated thirty-six “anti-ouch pillows” to Bethke. These pillows, easily mistaken for a shoulder bag, are hand-made pillows that can be worn under the arm of patients to minimize the discomfort of cancer therapy or surgery. The effort was coordinated by Auxiliary member Mary Mahaney and the pillows were made by a group of 20 ladies at a sew-a-thon held at the Haartz Corporation in Acton. The majority of attendees were from the Boston Chapter of the American Sewing Guild. The anti-ouch pouches were distributed to Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology and to the surgeon’s offices at Emerson.

The Auxiliary also provides each chemotherapy patient at Bethke with a gift certificate for 5 acupuncture treatments, and has also donated a sound system, head sets, relaxation CD’s, and Breast Cancer Handbooks for the treatment center.

According to Margaret Koch, Cancer Center Administrator for Bethke: “Through these additional supports, patients connect with the heart and soul of community members who’s gifts encourage them in their struggle and perhaps inspire them to find strength on a day when they had little. The Auxiliary’s generous contribution has helped to support Emerson in making Bethke Cancer Center a real jewel in our community.”

The Emerson Hospital Auxiliary supports Emerson Hospital through a wide variety of activities ranging from more intimate members-only gatherings to large events open to the public. If you like to organize, create, cook, network, write, edit, speak in public, or just contribute to your community, the Auxiliary welcomes your participation. Anyone interested in learning more about the Auxiliary should contact Karen McCarthy at 978-371-2133 for more information.