Lee Memorial Hospital Auxiliary celebrates half-century anniversary

For half a century, a group of Dowagiac volunteers have dedicated themselves to improving the health of their neighbors, one small contribution at a time.

The Lee Memorial Hospital Auxiliary celebrates its 50th year of existence this month. The volunteer fundraising organization was founded in October 1964, with 17 members around for
its charter.

“Our mission is to enhance the hospital and the care of its patients,” said Onnolee Van Husan, one of the charter members of the organization. “All of the money we raise stays local, going to the hospital.”

Since its inception, around 200 people have come and gone from the Auxiliary’s ranks, Van Husan said. At the moment, 35 volunteers serve with the organization, meeting once a month to discuss future fundraising activities and the operation of the Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital’s gift shop.

Located down hall near the hospital’s reception lobby, the gift shop is the Auxiliary’s main source of revenue. Staffed and stocked by its members, the small store offers visitors a variety of goods, such as stuffed animals, purses and small jewelry. They recently began selling second-hand books as well.

“It’s handy for people who want to read something while in the waiting room, and they don’t have to lighten their purse to do so,” Van Husan said.

While their current space is certainly an improvement over the former closet-sized room they originally operated the store from, it’s still a rather confined area. In the coming weeks, though, the organization will relocate the gift shop into a larger, more visible space across the hall, where the hospital’s reception area is currently located.

In addition the gift shop, the Auxiliary hosts bake sales and raffles throughout the year, including their annual fundraiser during the Christmas season. In the past, the organization held special events like ice cream socials, art shows, phantom auctions to raise funding for the hospital.

As to be expected, the members have contributed to dozens of projects over the past five decades, including renovations to the hospital entrances, equipment for their pharmacy, a recovery room beds for the surgery department. They also have an annual scholarship that they award to people seeking a career in the medical field.

Recently, the organization donated $3,000 to Borgess-Lee’s latest series of renovations to its outpatient entrance and registration area. Their leadership has pledged to give another $3,000 to the project next year as well, Van Husan said.

With 50 years of uninterrupted service to the community and counting, the Auxiliary’s mission to serve the hospital and the people who rely on it on a daily basis is as vital now as it was in the fall of 1964.