The Elmhurst Hospital Center Auxiliary raised funds through their “Adopt-a Brick” program selling memorial bricks in two sixes for as much as $500. The proceeds will help provide services that would not be as readily available because of budget constraint at the hospital.
The “Walkway of Honor” was unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by hospital administrators, employees and elected officials including Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Assemblymembers Michael DenDekker and Francisco Moya and City Councilmembers Danny Dromm and Elizabeth Crowley.
The path was created with 70 personalized bricks that vary from a 6 X 9 inch brick with a two line dedication to a 12 X 12 brick with a four line dedication; both of which can still be purchased.
Marshall, who plans to purchase a brick herself, stressed the importance of the walkway stating that “The money will go to support the fine work the doctors, nurses, and entire staff do here at Elmhurst Hospital Center.”
At the May 13 ceremony, DenDekker spoke of his brother Joey who was hospitalized at Elmhurst Hospital. He and his family purchased a brick in memory of him.
“Throughout his illness, the staff here was wonderful, and we thought purchasing a brick was a great way to remember him.”
The revenue from the walkway, which is close to the north side of the hospital facing Broadway and 78th Street, will enable the hospital’s auxiliary support for a wide variety of initiatives including patient care and programs such as the Child Life, Senior Care and Breast Cancer Awareness
. The auxiliary is comprised of volunteers in the community who not only donate their time but are also placed in various assignments throughout the hospital. Their mission is to raise money for the soon to be constructed Women’s Health Pavilion which is slated to finish construction in 2012 and other community health programs at Elmhurst Hospital.
Atiya N. Butler the Elmhurst Hospital Center assistant director of external affairs states the goal of the hospital as “provid[ing] services to the community regardless of an ability to pay.”
The Elmhurst Hospital Center executive director Chris Constantino echoed the same sentiment.
“The building of the new Pavilion will allow us to expand the scope of our services for women, and we want to ask the public to support this initiative by adopting bricks on our new Walkway of Honor.”
