Keeping Callaway Comfortable

CCH auxiliary works hard to provide for hospital, citizens

Rita Pugh volunteers at the Callaway County Hosptial gift shop. The shop is operated by the Hospital Auxiliary, a nonprofit group that among its many responsibilities puts on events, gives out scholarships to medical students and provides new equipment for hospital staff.
Rita Pugh volunteers at the Callaway County Hosptial gift shop. The shop is operated by the Hospital Auxiliary, a nonprofit group that among its many responsibilities puts on events, gives out scholarships to medical students and provides new equipment for hospital staff.

People who have bought something at the Callaway County Hospital's gift shop might not have known that the person staffing the register was a volunteer worker, or that their money from the transaction was supporting a great cause.

The Callaway Community Hospital Auxiliary, a non-profit organization that has been supporting the hospital and the county for more than 50 years, runs the gift shop. The proceeds from it and their other events throughout the year, such as their upcoming biannual Card Party Monday, April 30, fund scholarships for Callaway students and buy equipment for the hospital.

The card party, which is perhaps one of their better-known fundraising activities to Callaway County citizens, will be at the John C. Harris Community Center, with sessions from 1-4 p.m. and 6:30-9:30 p.m. Partygoers can enjoy a game of cards or dominoes with homemade snacks for $6 a session, or $10 for both. Raffle tickets will also be available for purchase at $1 a ticket or $5 for six, valid for two $50 drawings. Dorothy Winingear, the auxiliary's publicity chairperson, hopes they break record numbers this year.

"It's open to the public and lots come, but we can handle more than what comes," said Winingear. "All the money after the food is paid for (goes to) scholarships and equipment, depending on how much money we have at the end of the year."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.