Rotarians Kathy Sessler and John Hall deliver gift cards purchased at various Rochester restaurants to staff working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic at Frisbie Memorial Hospital. From left to right: T.J. Jean (VP Operations FMH), Kathy Sessler, John Hall, Jeff Scionti (CEO FMH), and Matt Untch (CFO FMH).
ROCHESTER – In the spirit of community service and camaraderie, Rochester Rotary Club recently delivered $2,400 in gift cards purchased at local restaurants to healthcare heroes working on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.
Rochester Rotary Club President Al Johnson initiated the campaign dubbed Rochester Rotary Gives.
“Most of our members are much more fortunate than many in our community. After speaking with other clubs and sharing ideas on how we can help the community, we decided to put forth an effort which supports both the healthcare heroes keeping us safe and also the locally owned restaurants. The idea was to pool our resources and purchase gift cards to local restaurants in small amounts and give them to Frisbie Memorial Hospital to distribute as they see best to their employees.”
Johnson set an initial goal of $1,000. Lisa Stanley at Wit-Way Supply kick-started the campaign by contributing $250 in seed money. The goal was met in a matter of hours with a contribution of $750 from John Hall of Profile Bank, and a new goal was set for $2,500.
"We are extremely grateful for the tremendous show of support and generosity of individuals, business and organizations who have donated food, gift cards, PPE, and other items during this challenging time,” said Jeff Scionti, CEO of Frisbie Memorial Hospital.
Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.
In order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus in our community, the Rochester Rotary Club has suspended all in-person lunch meetings until June 15th. Instead, the club is providing bi-weekly virtual meeting opportunities. For details on virtual meetings, please email President Al Johnson at ajohnson@atlanticbb.com.
Frisbie Memorial Hospital is a 112-licensed bed acute care facility located in Rochester, New Hampshire. Frisbie Memorial Hospital and its affiliated providers are committed to providing the highest quality care to the greater Rochester community by adopting best medical and surgical practices to improve the care and recovery of patients. Frisbie’s measures reflect a comprehensive approach to making sure the patient gets the best care in the safest environment. For more information about Frisbie’s services and physicians, visit https://frisbiehospital.com/.