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Greenwich Hospital Prepping to Party Under the Stars

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A child gets helped out by one of the nurses at Greenwich Hospital during a recent visit. Greenwich Hospital will be hosting its annual Under the Stars benefit on June 22. (contributed photo)

By Paul Silverfarb
Sentinel Editor

Greenwich Hospital is gearing up for its annual Under the Stars benefit and this year’s event on June 22 will certainly be something not to miss.

“It’s really exciting and an incredible opportunity to give back to our community hospital that really does so much for everybody’s needs,” said Stephanie Dunn Ashley, Director of Special Events. “From urgent care in the ED to starting a family and having access to nationally ranked pediatric specialists to surgery and long term care, there are so many needs that are met here. We are really lucky to have Greenwich Hospital in our neck of the woods.”

The event, which is benefitting women’s and children’s health, will take place at Riverside Yacht Club starting at 7 p.m. It is the second year that the hospital is hosting the event as a concert-style format.

“It’s fantastic to be able to co-chair the event,” said Jen Turano. “When we work so hard and so passionately on something and to see it all come to fruition on June 22, we feel a sense of pride and we feel honored to be a part of it. It’s a great feeling. We have so much fun that night and couldn’t be happier that everybody comes together to help support the cause.”

Under the Stars will be honoring Patricia Calayag, medical doctor and director of obstetrics/gynecology. At Greenwich Hospital, Calayag specializes in general obstetrics and gynecology, both high- and low-risk pregnancies with special interest in fertility, laparoscopy and adolescent to menopausal medicine.

For the second year in a row, the guest emcee for the night will be Jeff Glor, award-winning anchor of the CBS Evening News.

And when it comes to entertainment, this year’s Under the Stars event will be something special. The headlining performer will be Greenwich native and country music star Caroline Jones. Keeping the good times rolling throughout the evening will be DJ April Larken and local cover band favorite The Short Bus.

“We have taken it to this fun concert level and we have been able to bring in lots of local talent this year,” said Ashley. “It’s a great opportunity to celebrate women, with Caroline Jones performing and DJ April Larken backing her up. In addition, our committee of women are steadfast and tirelessly working with us every step of the way. They are doing an incredible job reaching out to the community by bringing in sponsors, advertisers and benefactors.”

For Turano, being a co-chair for this event, along with fellow co-chair Andrea Sinkin Jaffe, was a no-brainer.

The two co-chairs have been friends since they were both little babies. Although they each moved on and lived in some other location, they have both returned home to Greenwich. Turano had her second and third children at Greenwich Hospital, and Jaffe had a child at the hospital.

“We are both really impressed and overwhelmed with the superior care that we received,” said Turano. “When we were asked to co-chair, it was obvious choice for us. We wanted to give back to the hospital and all the doctors and nurses that provided that care to us with the birth of our children in a way that would be meaningful and make a difference. This is perfect opportunity for both of us to do that.”

And it’s obvious that everybody at the hospital couldn’t be more excited about the event.

“With this fundraiser, we have a unique opportunity to look into quite a few different areas of the hospital that all work with women’s and children’s services,” said Ashley.

A unique and highly-important aspect to the Under the Stars event is their wish list. The hospital utilizes a wish list for each of their fundraisers. Event organizers at Greenwich Hospital sit down with the nurses, doctors and staff members to ask about their needs for equipment and other items to help with care, outreach to families, and staff education to ensure service excellence. 

Breast Services, Fertility, Labor and Delivery, Pediatrics, Heart and Vascular Services, NICU and Community Health areas of the hospital all have wish lists for the Under the Stars event. To view the wish lists and to donate, visit Giving.greenhosp.org/uts2018.

“The price point for the wish list ranged from $15 gift bags and coloring books for kids to a $40,000 piece of equipment for our NICU. The wish list is incredible and a major opportunity for people to really put their philanthropic donations into something tangible.”

For Turano, the importance of making sure the hospital is able to perform at its peak hits close to home. When her mother came up to visit a couple of years ago, she was short of breath and was having pains in her chest. Turano said she was reluctant to seek care. However, it was a good thing that Turano’s mother listened to her daughter.

“It turned out that she had a minor heart attack and the doctors there recognized it and treated her immediately,” Turano said. “They said that if she didn’t get there when she did, it may have been a different outcome. So for me, it’s incredibly personal. The care that my family has received is incredible and I want more people to have access to that care. These funds that we raise on June 22 goes to insuring that the hospital receives the best staff, the best doctors and the best technology.”

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