The Eagles Nest restaurant in Sullivan County's Bloomingburg hosted the 2008 Ellenville Regional Hospital Auxiliary luncheon, where good food and community fellowship helped raise money for the organization, and where three very special members of the auxiliary were honored as auxilians of the year: Ann Coutant, Adaline Loucks, and Frances Pressman.

The event featured a penny social-style auction, with prizes which ranged from free pizzas donated by the area's restaurants, all the way up to a Sirius Satellite Radio. The luncheon was kicked off by a welcome from Carol Lounsbery, the Auxiliary's President, and then followed by an invocation by the recently named Noonday Club Citizen of the Year, Reverend Julius Collins, Jr. Ellenville Regional Hospital President and CEO Steve Kelley also gave some remarks concerning the progress the hospital is making in terms of its different initiatives, among which he mentioned the recently opened Ellenville Senior Apartments, the Physical Therapy Wing which was opened this summer, and the upcoming redesign to the hospital's front; each announcement was greeted with cheers and applause from the crowd of hospital employees, local government officials, and members of the community.

"If you keep clapping after every one of these, I'm never going to get through this," joked Kelley.

After Kelley's words, Lounsbery presented him with a $13,000 check to go toward the refurbishing of the hospital's 20 rooms, which will be an ongoing process in the time to come. Each room will cost an estimated $60,000 to refurbish, according to Human Resources Director Debbie Briggs. Last year, the donation was for $14,000, but because the auxiliary didn't hold their annual theatre trip to New York City this year, 2008's funds came in a little lower than in 2007.

As the afternoon progressed, the winners of the various prizes were announced while the guests enjoyed lunch, eventually culminating with the announcement by Sylvia Fogarty that Ann Coutant, Adaline Loucks, and Frances Pressman had all won auxilian of the year.

According to President Lounsbery, they were all awarded the honor because of "their years of dedication. They have been here since forever."

One of the three luncheon coordinators, Blossom Rozman, added just after the three's receiving of the award, "they are really responsible for the success of the gift shop," referring to the shop in the hospital which is a significant source of funds for the organization's charitable efforts, not to mention a necessary addition to any hospital. After the event, both Kelley and Briggs were impressed with how many people had attended the event. Kelley pointed out that there were four different kinds of chairs being used throughout the room, a sure sign that the staff of the Eagle's Nest wasn't used to the sheer volume of people, which Briggs pegged at about 215.

"It's a reflection of the commitment of the community to the hospital," said Kelley that evening.

Though it's still too soon to get the figures for how much the event raised, Briggs said on Tuesday that this year's was a record-breaker.

"The mood was great…we were a little worried in this economy of what would happen, but the luncheon actually grew this year," she said. "They raised more money on the raffles and the prizes than they ever had in the past." According to Briggs, the raffle alone brought in over $2,000.

Hospital Auxiliary President Lounsbery shares Briggs's feelings, and is grateful to the people of the Ellenville and Wawarsing area for supporting the group.

"I just want to thank the community for their tremendous support of not only the luncheon, but of the raffle, and everything else that it encompasses," she said on Tuesday. "Because of all of this, it was a huge success."

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