N E W S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 29, 2018
Family Makes Extraordinary Gift of Toys for Kids of Saratoga Hospital Cancer Patients
Three other recent gifts benefit hospital Cancer Patient Fund
Three generations of the Richardson family of Mechanicville recently delivered toys for kids of all ages to help brighten the holidays for children of cancer patients at Saratoga Hospital’s Mollie Wilmot Radiation Oncology Center. The gifts were in memory of Ann Marie Richardson, the family matriarch, who succumbed to cancer in 2006.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY, November 29, 2018—If Ann Marie Richardson were still alive, the Mechanicville matriarch would be making the holidays bright for her children and grandchildren. Instead, in her memory, Richardson’s family is spreading the joy of the season with an extraordinary gift of toys for children of cancer patients at Saratoga Hospital’s Mollie Wilmot Radiation Oncology Center.
Richardson lost her battle with cancer in 2006, but her love and generosity live on in her family—the Desadores, Izzos, Lucianos, Ramneses, Richardsons, and Verdiles. They arrived at the radiation oncology center last week, bearing virtually every kind of toy: dolls, cars and trucks, balls and other sports-related gifts, building sets, toddler toys, bicycles, video game systems and more.
“It was beyond anything we could have imagined—such an amazing show of support at such a difficult time for our patients and their families,” said Renee Russell, program director of the radiation oncology center. “They will remember it always.”
Patients will also benefit from three recent gifts to the hospital’s Cancer Patient Fund:
- $13,462 from the Mechanicville-Stillwater Breast Cancer Walk Committee, raised during its Breast Cancer Walk 2018. The committee has donated more than $100,000 to the Cancer Patient Fund over the past 10 years.
- $1,338.95 from Saratoga Central Catholic School’s Pink Day: Volleyball Spike Out Cancer Fundraiser. Participants paid $3 to dress down and wear pink in support of breast cancer patients and survivors. Over the past 10 years, the annual event has raised more than $11,000 for cancer patients.
- $1,224 from employees at Saratoga Hospital’s Wilton campus, who held a basket raffle to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“For our patients, each of these gifts is a wonderful reminder that our community is rooting for them and wants to help in any way possible,” Russell said.
The hospital’s Cancer Patient Fund was established, in part, to reduce the financial toll that cancer can take on patients and their families. The fund helps patients with transportation costs, daily living expenses, and other services that are essential but not covered by insurance. In addition, the fund enables Saratoga Hospital to provide services—such as massages and survivor retreats—that alleviate stress and improve patients’ emotional health and well-being.
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About Saratoga Hospital: Saratoga Hospital is the Saratoga region’s leading healthcare provider and the only acute-care facility in Saratoga County. With a medical staff of more than 450 providers, the hospital offers care in a broad range of medical specialties at more than 20 locations including its Wilton campus and the Saratoga Medical Park at Malta. The Saratoga Hospital Medical Group ensures easy access to services that can have the greatest impact on both individual and community health. In keeping with its emphasis on quality, Saratoga Hospital was the first in the Capital Region to earn Magnet designation for nursing excellence. On Jan. 1, 2017, Saratoga Hospital finalized its affiliation with Albany Medical Center, joining Columbia Memorial Health in creating a regionally integrated, locally governed healthcare system. For more information: www.saratogahospital.org or www.facebook.com/SaratogaHospital.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Peter Hopper
Director, Marketing and Communications
Saratoga Hospital
518.583.8679