During the past year, the Obici Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Club toiled away for their facility. They sold nurses’ outfits, shoes, jewelry, books, and other items. They ran the hospital gift shop, from which proceeds go to the club.

By last May, the club had raised nearly $41,000 – enough to purchase a new bus for the Growing Up at Obici Childcare Program. The bus took many of the program’s more than 100 young clients to and from school, and on several field trips.

Before the bus drove around, said Growing Up President Gin Staylor, &uot;We had a van that was not very dependable. The bus has helped us take the children to the Virginia Air and Space Center, the Marine Science Museum, and the Norfolk Zoo. It’s helped us so much.&uot;

But the Auxiliary still had some funds to raise, and kept selling. In October, many local golfers braved one of the rainiest days of the year to particiapte in the program’s golf tournament at Nansemond River Golf Club, which added another $20,000 to the coffers.

That put the finishing touches on what Past President Jeanne Banks called the most successful year in the Club’s history. At the Auxiliary’s Fall Dinner Meeting Thursday evening at First Baptist Church, Banks and Treasurer Otha Rountree presented a check for $75,000 to Obici CEO Chet Hart, raising the amount brought in in the past year to $116,000.

&uot;We’ve never raised so much,&uot; Banks said. &uot;We just worked our duffs off.&uot;

The money will be used for functional equipment, which aids in physical and occupational therapy, and the Spectra Link System, which allows fast communication between medical personnel throughout the hospital.

jason.norman@suffolknewsherald.com