By by Lee Weyhrich
Atmore Community Hospital honored the hospital's Auxiliary members Thursday night with a banquet and an awards ceremony.
Over 50 people were in attendance at the event, which was held in the Atmore Community Hospital auditorium.
"There were 25 of the 38 Auxiliary members that were able to attend with their guests," hospital administrator Bob Gowing said. "Half a dozen of the hospital department leaders served them meals."
For longer than anyone can remember the hospital has put on this annual event for the ladies of the ACHA.
"I've been with the Auxiliary at least 15 years now and they were already having them at that time," ACH President Annette Dawe said. "I'm not sure when that would have been started."
Gowing believes that this year's event was one of the more memorable ones.
"I thought it went very well," Gowing said. "I thought it was one of the best appreciation dinners that we've had."
The annual awards are a way that the hospital shows appreciation to a group that Gowing credits with a lot of the hospital's success.
"The purpose of it was to recognize those wonderful women for the thousands of hours of service," Gowing said. "In a quiet and humble way they truly are servants."
Dawe appreciates the annual social gathering.
"I had an enjoyable delightful evening," Dawe said. "It was good being around all the auxiliarians because we typically only see them at meetings. The entertainment was wonderful and the flowers were beautiful."
Chuck Stevens, owner of Chuck Stevens automotive, provided the entertainment.
Hours of service were rounded down to the nearest increment of a hundred and Auxiliary members were given pins as awards for their hours of service.
"That's accumulated hours," Dawe said. "We get pins based on the hundreds. Every hundred hours earns a pin or something like that."
Dawe has over 3400 hours of service and one member, Evelyn Turberville, had over 4000 hours.
"It's always a joy to us even though we give our time freely it's nice to know were appreciated," Dawe said. "I thank Mr. Gowing and his spouse for doing that for us."
Betty Adams has over 300 hours of service, Dorothy Albert has just over 100, Linda Blake has 700, Silverzee Brown has over 600 hours of service and Ruth Bryars has 1,400 hours of service. Luvernia Calloway has worked 800 hours, Carol Cotter 200, Hannas Donald 2,700. Frances Early has 200 hours of service, Donna Ferguson has just over 1,221, and Mildred Hall has over 800 hours.
Sarah Hall has over 1,100 hours of service, Haxel Higdon has 2,100, Frances Lovelace has over 400, Ruby Lowery has worked 500, Lorene Mims has over 2,500 hours and Elizabeth Myrick has over 900. Jane Nickle has 200 hours, Edna Phillippi and Gladys Stanton had 700 hours each, Veola Watkins has over 500 hours and Marvis Ward has exactly 1,400 hours.