Saint Francis Hospital Auxiliary Celebrates 100th Anniversary

At the 100th Anniversary Gala on June 6, the Auxiliary presented a $100,000 gift to establish The Auxiliary of Saint Francis Hospital Endowment Fund for Oncology.

Members of the Auxiliary with the new minicab, which helps transport patients and visitors throughout the hospital.

Saint Francis was founded in 1897 by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambery. Twenty-nine years later, in 1926, the Women’s Auxiliary of Saint Francis was formed by 27 community-minded women who assisted the hospital’s Social Service Department. Despite world wars, social changes and health crises, the Auxiliary has remained steadfast in its mission of enhancing patient care at the hospitals and supporting the surrounding community, through hospital renovations, updating medical equipment, providing nursing scholarships and purchasing patient transportation vehicles. Today, the group continues to support Saint Francis and Mount Sinai through annual donations, raising funds via special events and sales in the hospital gift and thrift shops.

On June 6, the Auxiliary held an anniversary gala at the Hartford Golf Club, where they announced a $100,000 gift to establish The Auxiliary of Saint Francis Hospital Endowment Fund for Oncology. The fund will provide support for cancer care, advancing oncology services and enhancing the patient and family experience. The gala was attended by many friends of the Auxiliary including board members, physicians, nurses, colleagues, donors and community partners. The event was made possible by generous sponsors including Saint Francis, the Archdiocese of Hartford, Woodland Anesthesiology Associates, the Connecticut Joint Replacement Institute, Orthopedic Surgical Partners, the Saint Francis Hospital Medical and Dental Staff, Beacon Bank, Karl Krapek, Sr., and the late Dr. Surendra Chawla and his widow, Ranjana Chawla, past president of the Auxiliary.

The Auxiliary has been led by 53 presidents since Mrs. F. Arthur Emmett stepped up to become the founding president in 1926. Current president Susan Joyse, who has been a member of the Auxiliary for five years, is proud of the lasting legacy the group has made over the last century that has touched almost every area of the hospital.

“Throughout this century and with the dedication of countless volunteers, we have been able to provide vital resources, comfort and care that extend beyond medical treatment,” said Joyse. “As we honor this remarkable milestone, we look forward to continuing our mission with the same spirit of generosity and care that has defined us for a century.”

The Auxiliary is able to sustain its major giving goals in part by holding special events throughout the year, including the annual Remembrance Way brick sale and ribbon sale held each year during the holiday season. The Remembrance Way garden, located just outside the main entrance of Saint Francis, was dedicated in 2001, when members of the Auxiliary conceived a way to personalize the area for the community, paving it with engraved bricks that honor friends, relatives, colleagues or caregivers, or memorialize a loved one who passed. The annual ribbon sale offers an opportunity for community members to honor or memorialize special colleagues and loved ones with gold, silver and purple ribbons that decorate the Christmas trees in the hospital Rotunda. The Auxiliary also holds a Designer Purse Bingo event each fall, offering community members an opportunity to gather and try their luck, all in support of the hospitals and the patients they serve.

In addition to events, the Auxiliary also raises funds through the management of the hospital Gift Shops at Saint Francis and Mount Sinai along with a thrift shop called Repetitions at Saint Francis. The Gift Shops offer a vast variety of items, from cards and balloons to clothing and home décor. Repetitions offers donated clothing, jewelry, household items and more for resale.