Join in the Jubilee

June McAfee and Lee Warren welcomed Rotarians and visitors to the 3719th meeting of St. George Rotary held Monday, November 24, 2008 at the Dixie Center in celebration of the 28th Annual Jubilee of Trees hospital fundraiser. Ray Robinson lead the SGR Choir in the first and fourth verses of "My Country, Tis of Thee." Lee Warren ("the flag man") invited members to follow him in the Pledge of Allegiance and Reed Noble asked for the blessings of heaven on the meeting and the meal. Nick Lang conducted a lucrative Horseplay while Kris Neal collected fines in support of the Childrens Justice Center.

Richard Brown’s name was read for a second time as a prospective new member. Richard is being sponsored by Ken Seefeld and will come into the club with a classification of Attorney. Comments relating to Richard's upcoming induction should be directed to any board member.

Richard Isom displayed the new DRB t-shirts and sweatshirts - all done up in festive red and navy blue. He also announced Rod Zundel will serve as the emcee for the DRB Banquet and SGR's own Steve Radmall - longtime secretary to the DRB Foundation board - has been named Parade Grand Marshall.

PROGRAM: Chris Coons, IHC's Southwest Region Vice President, introduced the program, thanking Kerry Hepworth and the hundreds of volunteers who take part in many ways in the success of the Jubilee of Trees, now in its 28th year. Chris expressed the need for funds from the Jubilee and other sources to purchase a much-needed Life Flight helicopter. Gary Stone, Southwest Region Vice President, reiterated the need, noting the hospital has been using its fixed wing aircraft since 1989 which “can’t land on I-15 or in a remote location in Zion National Park. In this challenging geographic region, we need this new technology with a crew of trained critical care nurses."

Julie Gerth, Emergency Department Manager, noted a Life Flight helicopter will shave off 16 minutes in emergency situations. "Sixteen minutes may not sound like much, but minutes matter to heart muscle. This equipment will save lives! DRMC is already one of the top 100 hospitals in the United States with a 99.6% response time within 90 minutes, but we can still improve the quality of life for the citizens of Washington County.”

Kerry noted, “the goal is to raise $2.3 million by 2010. The machine actually costs $7.2 million, but IHC will cover the cost of $5.6 million. We’ve already raised $1 million through events such as the Jubilee of Trees and the Jubilee Cup. With this helicopter, we can save the lives of pre-mature babies, accident victims, heart attack victims. We always need more volunteers and more donors.”