National Park Medical Center honored for being top fundraiser for American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Central Arkansas
"In Memory of Amanda" is the title of this photo, taken at the Garland County American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event in Hot Springs, AR. Mandy Golleher, Director of Marketing for National Park Medical Center (NPMC), took the photo, which was honored with a First Place award in the Purpose Category of the 2013 Capella Communities Photography Contest. Pictured is Tammie Flavin, an employee of NPMC, memorializing her late daughter Amanda, lost too young to cancer.
National Park Medical Center was recognized by the American Cancer Society for their dedication to the fight for a cure at both the local and regional levels. NPMC’s Relay for Life team raised more than $20,000 over the year-long fundraising period for the 2013 event, making them the top fundraiser in Garland County as well as in the entire Central Arkansas region. They were also recognized for “Most Team Spirit” and took second place in this year’s costume contest at Relay for Life held in June.
“Our team works very hard every year to raise money and awareness for the American Cancer Society—but this year was a particularly motivating one for us here at NPMC,” said NPMC’s team captain, Pat Herrin. “We truly believe in the ACS’s programming that benefits local cancer patients and the research and education that they fund to raise awareness and advocate research for a cure. But this year, the fight was more personal than ever before.” In July, National Park Medical Center lost a central team-member and nearly 40-year employee—human resources director, Sandra Culliver–to cancer after a two-year battle. “Sandra was—and still is—a major motivation for our team’s exemplary efforts for the ACS,” said Herrin. “Her strength, will to live, and refusal to let cancer take over her life gave us a constant reminder of why we are fighting for a cure.
NPMC’s fundraising efforts are more than just hospital-wide —they are more of a community undertaking. This year marked the 25th Annual Daffodil Days, where NPMC staff sold and delivered daffodil orders all around town—and sold daffodils at Oaklawn Park for race-goers. 2013 was the 11th Annual NPMC Easter Basket Silent Auction, where community businesses, individuals and organizations, as well as NPMC employees and vendors, donate items for a day-long silent auction which benefits the American Cancer Society. The team also hosted multiple bake sales, a jeans day at the hospital, a portrait sales fundraiser, and spring flowers sales all to benefit the ACS. A portion of their team t-shirt sales went to the cause, and they donated silent auction items to the ACS Gala in August to further benefit the society.
“It’s a passion for us,” said Herrin. “Obviously we work in a field where we see the impact of cancer daily. But many of our core team members are non-clinical employees—and I think that’s because we want to be able to make a difference for those patients as well. It’s a lot of work. But on the night of Relay when we see the track surrounded by luminaries—each representing a person who has so personally fought the fight—and when we watch the survivors lap and the caregivers lap—it’s more than worth all of our time, efforts and dollars spent to help find a cure.
About National Park Medical Center
National Park Medical Center is a full service, 166-bed, acute care facility located at 1910 Malvern Avenue in Hot Springs, AR. Providing care to the surrounding five-county area since 1954, NPMC is fully accredited by The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.