Ash Grove Healthcare Facility Auxiliary commemorates 50 years

Members of the Ash Grove Healthcare Facility Auxiliary and others gathered at the facility’s main dining room on Sunday, March 24 to celebrate 50 years of service to Ash Grove seniors residing at the facility.  About 80 people attended the event.
Judy Runyon, who helped to organize the gathering, said the celebration was, in part, to commemorate the history of the auxiliary.
“We had a little short program that was basically to tell people the history of what all has transpired through the years,” she said, “and we had displays set up to show some of the old scrap books and pictures, newspaper articles and … different things that have been saved throughout the years for people to look at.”
Members of the auxiliary also took special care to pay tribute to the memory of Regena Dixon, who founded the organization and was its first president. A display was set up in her memory; it included the pink smock she wore as a member of the auxiliary, her name badge, pictures and other items.
“We did a special little tribute to her that day … and made a special time of recognizing her and her service through the years,” Runyon said. “It was just a nice time to get together and share some memories, and encourage people if they want to get involved with our auxiliary.”
The Auxiliary continues to work in support of the residents of the Ash Grove Healthcare Facility. Members raise funds, hold monthly birthday parties for residents, have a monthly ice cream cart, set up a special store for residents to shop at with “funny money” they win from bingo games and other activities, and purchase equipment needed by the facility for the residents. The auxiliary also contributed funds to help renovate a bus for the facility’s use.