- Volunteers with milestone service hours include, left to right, Rose Fay, 2000 hours; Geri Ware, 3,500 hours; Virginia Konst, 4,000 hours; Ellie Beck, 3,500 hours; and Gail Frederick, 2,000 hours. Not pictured, Lucy Mirtes, 3,000 hours
- Volunteers in the 1,000-1,500 hour category are, front row left to right, Jeanette Hay, Sue Schmidt, Karen Hartman, Peg Tuttamore, Julie Walker, and Edna Schreiner. Back row, Bob Beck, Biago Fontana, Elaine Hess, Alohoea Lowery, LaVohn Hunter
- Volunteers in the 100-500 hour category are, front row left to right, Gloria Lindsley, Sue Ruffing, Mary Ann LaVine, Mary Kay Blair, Kathy Smith, and Dee Butler. Back row, Delbert Daniel, Cat Valero, Kim Veach, Sue Lemmon, Pat Cook, Sue Steinmetz
- From left to right are TBH Volunteer Coordinator June Washburn, Michael K. Winthrop, President & CEO of TBH, new VolunTeen Shannon Schneider, guest speaker Jackie Mayer, Miss America 1963, and new Volunteer Dar Rich.
- Jackie Mayer, Miss America 1963, shows off one of her original gowns she was awarded through her clothing allowance after being crowned Miss America in September of 1962.
The Bellevue Hospital (TBH) paid tribute to the many Volunteers and VolunTeens who donated countless hours at the local facility, with a Recognition Banquet held at the Meilenstein Hall on Southwest Street.
All total, 10,477 hours were donated in 2012.
Guest speaker for the event was Sandusky native and Miss America 1963, Jackie Mayer. Just seven years after being crowned Miss America, Jackie suffered a massive stroke that left her unable to speak. She had to learn to walk and talk all over again. She shared her inspirational story with the 100 assembled guests.
“I was just a normal, chubby little girl who liked to play football with the boys,” said Mayer about her upbringing in Sandusky. “My parents always supported us and taught us to believe in God, so I knew that I could do anything. I firmly believed in the quote from Abraham Lincoln: ‘I will study and get ready and perhaps my chance will come.’”
Her chance did come. She was attending Northwestern University when her roommate, Miss Minnesota, convinced Jackie to enter beauty pageants as a way to get scholarships to continue her education. So in June of 1962, Jackie entered and won the Miss Vacationland title, followed by winning Miss Ohio in July. She then earned the right to compete for Miss America in September.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I had a premonition that I was going to win. I told my pageant coach that afternoon. Of course, my dad was not so convinced because I had not won any of the preliminary awards. He told my brother not to bother flying in from Arizona for the finals. My brother was so mad at my dad after that!”
Continued Mayer, “It truly was a dream come true when they announced my name and put that crown on my head (she brought the crown with her to show those in attendance). I then traveled the country and was proud to represent America, Ohio, and especially, Sandusky.”
But just seven years later on the day after Thanksgiving, Mayer’s life changed. “I woke up and knew something was wrong. Everything on my right side was numb and I could not utter a sound. They rushed me to the hospital and remember, back in 1970, they did not have all the fancy drugs and rehab services that they have today for stroke patients.”
Mayer told the hushed audience that she could clearly think, but not speak or communicate, becoming a prisoner in her own body. “You people – you volunteers at The Bellevue Hospital – you have all seen stroke patients. It is terrifying to both the patient and their family. After a few days of panic, the doctor and minister came to see me and they told me that I was going to live. A peaceful feeling came over me at that point and I knew that God was giving me the will to come back.”
With the help of her infant daughter and toddler son, Jackie over the next seven years learned to walk and talk and tie her shoes. “My daughter and I learned to speak together. My son taught me how to tie my shoes. I had to start over from scratch. Now, I have a mission to go and help other people. Other than my kids and grandkids, helping others is the greatest pleasure in my life. I can relate to stroke patients because I have been down that same corridor.”
She urged the TBH Volunteers to become “lights for those who live in darkness” and “give of yourself to others so they will have a better life to live” before concluding with a quote, from Woodrow Wilson: “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, and with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world. You impoverish yourself if you forget this errand.”
Jackie graciously stayed and chatted with audience members following the presentation, showing off one of her Miss America gowns and allowing the guests to “try on her crown” for photos!
Prior to the presentation, June Washburn, TBH Volunteer Coordinator and Gift Shop Manager, gave special recognition to those Volunteers who have reached the listed cumulative lifetime milestones in 2012.
4,000: Virigina Konst
3,500: Ellie Beck & Gerri Ware
3,000: Lucy Mirtes
2,500: Ron Miller
2,000: Rose Fay, Betty McConkey, and Gail Frederick
1,500: Jan Adams, Bob Beck, Biago Fontana, Karen Hartman, Marge Jones, Edna Schreiner, Kathy Vickery, Julie Walker, and Shirley Warder.
1,000: JoAnn Cook, Jeanette Hay, LaVohn Hunter, Tom Kutz, Alohoea Lowery, Millie Raschke, Sue Schmidt, Peg Tuttamore, Vernetta Vallimont, and Jack Wooten.
500: Alice Adams, Phyllis Barnhart, Pat Cook, Delbert Daniel, Buzz Dayringer, Rosemae Hammill, Elaine Hess, Mary Ann LaVine, Sue Lemmon, Gloria Lindsley, Ed Rose, and Kim Veach.
100: Mary Kay Blair, Dee Butler, Barb Davis, Sue Hollingsworth, Linda Irons, Peg Kaufman, Ruth Miller, Sue Ruffing, Kathy Smith, Sue Steinmetz, Theresa Taggart, Sharon Thayer, Lorraine Tuttamore, Cat Valero, and Charlotte Waskielis.
New Volunteers for 2012 are: John Harris, Kelly Matthews, Laura McBride, Laura Peiffer, Dar Rich, Kelly Roach, Wilma Seamon, Tara Starkey, Elizabeth Vollmar, and Steve Wagner.
New Volun-Teens for 2012 are: Dillon Berkey, Robin Coffelt, Jasmine Hossler, and Shannon Schneider. Volun-Teens contributed 503 hours in 2012 and they also have an opportunity to earn a scholarship during their senior year in high school.
For information on how to become a Volunteer or VolunTeen at The Bellevue Hospital, contact June Washburn at 419.483.4040, Ext. 4408.