Skip to contents
In This Issue:
Boston has been revering its championship athletic teams for some time, and last week, BWH paid tribute to some of its own champions-the 1,600 volunteers who devote their time, skills and spirit to the hospital.
“You, our team of champions, deserve your victory parade, where we cheer from the rooftops, where we hail you as local heroes, where we build trophies in your names, where the leaders of the organization stand in awe of your accomplishments and unwavering, winning spirit,” said BWH President Gary Gottlieb to those who attended the Volunteer Recognition and Celebration in the Bornstein Amphitheater. “Thank you for all you do to make this a better place.”
After a heartwarming welcome from Chief Operating Officer Kate Walsh, Kris DeGraw Danna, director of Volunteer and Community Access Services, personalized the ceremony with a string of anecdotes about individual volunteers, highlighting the ways their contributions have made a difference. In addition, the volunteer office donated $875 to the hospital on behalf of all volunteers who logged more than 100 hours of service in the past year. “We celebrate your winning spirit,” said DeGraw Danna.
The May 10 event celebrated the contributions of all volunteers, while singling out Paul Rinaldi as the 2005 Volunteer of the Year. Rinaldi, who has volunteered for nearly 10 years, serves in Central Transport Services as an integral member of the Patient Flow Service Excellence Project. As part of the award, Rinaldi received $500 to donate to charity. He selected the Angels for Elders program at the First Congregational Church.
The ceremony concluded with the reflections of Mary Farrow, a PhD student at Harvard's School of Public Health, who has volunteered for the past three years in BWH's Emergency Department. “We epitomize the philosophy of Brigham and Women's Hospital,” she said of her fellow volunteers. “We're a team and we'll do whatever we can to make things better.”