Watertown, NY – Samaritan Auxiliary’s 20th Annual “One Night, One Diamond” will be celebrated virtually honoring all Samaritan Staff on Saturday, March 26th at 7pm. Proceeds from the 2022 One Night, One Diamond event will purchase an ultraviolet disinfection device used in advanced terminal sanitization of rooms. It is effective against many microorganisms such as C. difficile, MRSA, VRE, and CRE to name a few, as well as the novel coronavirus. The proceeds will also support the purchase of Sleep Diagnostic Systems for the Samaritan Sleep Lab. National Sleep Awareness Week is March 13-19, and it is critical to note that untreated sleep disorders can have adverse effects on our health and contribute to hypertension, atrial fibrillation, stroke, congestive heart failure, heart attacks, cancer, impotence, diabetes, morning headaches, bruxism, esophageal reflux, obesity, and every death. While snoring can be a warning sign for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), the best way to determine whether OSA or another type of sleep disorder is affecting well-being is to be tested, diagnosed, and treated.
This past year presented a series of challenges amidst the COVID-19 Omicron surge as our Samaritan Caregivers, regardless of their role within the system, stepped up to those challenges and worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the community. Their efforts have been nothing short of caring, thoughtful, committed, compassionate, and courageous. While we are thankful that our community is beginning to get back to some normalcy, as a community, we are most fortunate to have the Samaritan Caregivers here to take care of us in our time of personal need.
As a way to honor them, all Samaritan employees will be automatically entered for an opportunity to win the 1-carat lab grown brilliant diamond donated by Cook’s Jewelers; a two-night getaway package donated by Lake Placid’s Mirror Lake Inn, and $25 AAA Visa Card; a one-night getaway package donated by 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton; a one night stay for two in the Royal Suite at Singer Castle; and a $75 gift certificate and a gift bag with a stethoscope and other essentials donated by The Scrub Hub. The drawing will also include donated restaurant gift certificates. The event will feature video messages to Samaritan Caregivers from members of the community that wished to step forward and share their heartfelt words of gratitude. We will also hear from Dr. David Rechlin about the Sleep Diagnostic Systems that the proceeds of this event is supporting for the Samaritan Sleep Lab.
Please visit the event website at www.samaritanhealth.com/onod for more information on how to participate in honoring all our Samaritan Caregivers and to assist in the purchase of the equipment earmarked for this event. There is also an opportunity to recognize a Samaritan staff member(s) or department with your donation. An RSVP would be appreciated by March 23 in order to allow time to email information on how to join the event. For more information or with questions, please contact event chairperson Irene Carman at [email protected].
We are proud and humbled to present our sponsors, and we are so grateful to them for their gracious and very generous support. The elite Blue Diamond Sponsor for the 2022 “One Night, One Diamond” is Apogee Physicians. This year our Presenting Sponsors are the Bob Johnson Auto Group, KeyBank, Purcell Construction, SeaComm, and Dr. & Mrs. Brian Zafonte. Media Sponsors are the Watertown Daily Times, 7News, and Runningboards Marketing. Other top sponsors include the Diamond level of support with Coca-Cola Company, FX Caprara Honda, Hancock Estabrook, Ives Hill Country Club, King + King Architects, The Martin Group, Mr. & Mrs. Scott Mollison, Northern Radiology Associates, Renzi Foodservice Charitable Foundation, Slack Chemical Company, T. Urling Walker, and Watertown Wealth Management, Philip J. Sprague. The event receives additional support from numerous other generous sponsors at the Emerald, Ruby, and Sapphire levels.
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About Samaritan Auxiliary: The Samaritan Auxiliary was established in 1896 to serve as ambassadors and volunteers to support and enhance healthcare programs at the House of the Good Samaritan. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Samaritan Auxiliary and its membership, composed entirely of volunteers, play a vital role today in improving the quality of care in the Samaritan system through volunteer activities and financial support. The One Night, One Diamond proceeds have purchased over $800,000 in equipment for Samaritan Medical Center.
Among last year’s Auxiliary highlights is the 2021 One Night, One Diamond. Although it was a virtual event, the gracious generosity of all sponsors and donors raised $83,675 for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Samaritan. In that event we heard from Dr. Maja Lundborg-Gray, ER Physician, Ami Mitteer, RN COVID Unit, and Dani Mclean, Activities Coordinator at the Assisted Living Center of the Samaritan Summit Village, who shared their professional and personal perspectives as the events of the COVID pandemic unfolded in 2020 and early 2021. The program also featured Dr. Nathanial Miletta featuring the 2020 One Night, One Diamond funded equipment necessary to provide Mohs surgery.
Aside from the community-sponsored One Night, One Diamond event, the Auxiliary manages the gift shops at Samaritan Medical Center and Samaritan Summit Village, as well as the Starbucks Coffee Shop at the Medical Center. It is the sales from the gift shops and Starbucks Coffee Shop, along with the five uniform sales and membership dues, which provide funding for the support of programs, services, two scholarships given to staff furthering their education in a healthcare field, and the Capital Campaign Pledge commitment.
Additionally, the Auxiliary has continued the WHALE (We Have A Little Emergency) child safety seat ID program ([email protected]), and That’s Using Your Head, a helmet ID safety program ([email protected]), in conjunction with our Kinney Drugs Foundation partner and 7News media partner.
