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22,763 Residents Given Reason to Smile Through PRESENTS FOR PATIENTS®

Gibsonia, Pa. - Jan. 11, 2007 - 22,763 residents at 276 long-term care facilities were given a reason to smile this holiday season thanks to PRESENTS FOR PATIENTS®. The figure represents a new record for the campaign.

In its 23rd season, the campaign's goal was to match 22,548 residents in nursing homes, personal care homes and assisted living facilities with a member of the community who personally delivered a gift. The residents were in five states - Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, West Virginia and Tennessee. PRESENTS FOR PATIENTS® was founded in 1984 by St. Barnabas Health System president William V. Day, who realized the Christmas season could be a lonely time for long-term care residents. Additionally, Day wanted to encourage community members to visit their local long-term care facilities to witness the acts of goodwill and compassion that occur every day. Since its inception, PRESENTS FOR PATIENTS® has provided gifts to nearly 325,112 patients.

Throughout the campaign, which ran during November and December, numerous residents had the holidays made merrier through visits from community members, who brought gifts such as sweaters, sweatshirts, blankets and snacks. A number of special gift requests were also honored, including:

• Arthur Eddy, a 91-year-old resident at The Arbors at St. Barnabas and a former truck mechanic, got a look under the hood of a big rig for the first time in 26 years when trucker John Eckhoff visited. Eckhoff even took Eddy for a ride in his truck. Eddy said the experience took him back 50 years.
  
• 107-year-old Hilda Rex, a longtime Steelers fan and resident of Rochester Manor in Beaver County, met legendary Steelers running back Rocky Bleier. Bleier gave his oldest fan an autographed football, replica jersey and action photo. Rex said what she remembers most about Bleier was how hard he fought to overcome his Vietnam War injuries and play football again.
  
• Rose Zelechowski, a resident at Beaver Elder Care, received her wish of having lunch at Long John Silver's thanks to a donation from the East Rochester location of the restaurant and complimentary transportation provided by Medic Rescue. Zelechowski's face lit up when a plate of shrimp was delivered to her table.
  
  PRESENTS FOR PATIENTS® was operated as a morale-building group project by numerous businesses and organizations. Among the dozens of groups contributing were:
  
  • AARP Pennsylvania - More than 100 volunteers worked to adopt and throw parties for a total of 1,200 residents at the four Kane Regional Centers throughout Allegheny County.
    
  • The Baldwin-Whitehall High School varsity football team - The 60-man team adopted all 55 residents of Ridgepointe Assisted Living in the South Hills.
    
  • WPXI-TV - The co-sponsor of PRESENTS FOR PATIENTS® adopted all 100 residents of The Arbors at Valencia Woods and threw a party for residents.
    
  
  PRESENTS FOR PATIENTS® is operated as a community outreach program by St. Barnabas Charities. For more information about PRESENTS FOR PATIENTS®, call 724-443-0011 or visit www.PRESENTSFORPATIENTS.com.
  

  Contact:
  Kathleen Brenneman
  (724) 444-5530
  kbrenneman@stbarnabashealthsystem.com
  
  

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