Fundraising – Rain or Shine

This week the skies looked grey but it was time for our 24th Annual GBMC Golf Classic and dozens of golfers were ready to tee up their balls Monday at Turf Valley Country Club and help raise funds for the GBMC HealthCare system.

I played in a foursome with Harry Johnson, Chairman of the GBMC HealthCare Board; Jim Albrecht, president of the GBMC Volunteer Auxilliary, and Bruce Campbell, of Wallace H. Campbell & Co., Inc. We had a great time even though we didn’t win and we got a little wet.

Hats off to Mike Forthman and the entire golf committee and to Jenny Coldiron and the GBMC Foundation staff, all of whom worked together for a great event in spite of the lousy weather.  We had 64 foursomes sign up – that’s 256 golfers supporting our efforts.

We’re still counting, but so far have raised more than $204,000 for various initiatives, including GBMC Medical Staff’s Nursing & Allied Health Professional Staff Education Fund which provides scholarships to nurses so they can receive the professional education and certification to provide the best health care for our patients; the Middendorf Consumer Health Library/ John E. Savage Medical Library which provides the medical staff, patients, visitors, and members of our community the most up-to-date medical information; and the Continuing Medical Education Department which provides programs offering medical education for our physicians, nurses, residents and other allied health professionals.

Every dollar that we raise from philanthropy takes the pressure off us of trying to find that dollar somewhere in operations.  I’m very grateful to everyone who helped us raise the money and everyone who came out to play.

At dinner, I chatted with Dr. Bernard McGibbon and learned that he started the tournament 24 years ago to encourage togetherness among the GBMC family and as a way of getting everyone to have some fun together.  Thankfully today those themes carry on for the Golf Classic.

Another major fundraiser for the GBMC HealthCare system is coming up in a few weeks – on Sunday, June 17th, we’re holding the 24th Annual GBMC Annual Father’s Day 5K & 1 Mile Fun Walk at the Baltimore Marriott Hunt Valley Inn to benefit the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

It’s always an amazing sight to see hundreds of families come together for this great cause, with babies in strollers, wagons and carriers.  Knowing that so many of the babies, and the older kids as well, were at one time being cared for in the NICU and are now thriving and growing is a great sight to see.

Runners at the 2011 Father's Day 5K

GBMC operates a strong NICU with excellent clinicians, great care and the latest equipment but this comes at a cost. It’s very expensive to provide care for these small babies and sick neonates.  But again the fundraising efforts help a great deal.

In the past 23 years, the annual Father’s Day 5K & 1 Mile Fun Walk has raised more than $1.5 million for the NICU and so far this year we’ve already raised more than $60,000.

I encourage you to sign up today - Father's Day 5K Registration I’ll be out there running, come join me! Your support will touch more than 500 critically ill and premature babies cared for every year in GBMC’s NICU.

Here I am greeting a young runner last year. 

Your support is a big deal to GBMC’s smallest patients.

Did you participate in the GBMC Golf Classic or are you planning to participate in the Father’s Day 5K & 1 Mile Fun Walk?  Share your story of why you help fundraise for GBMC.