In lieu of an in-person gathering, a drive-by celebration was held on October 27 to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Clara Maass Medical Center Auxiliary.
As members of the Auxiliary drove-up individually to the front entrance of the Medical Center, they were greeted by waves, cheers and well wishes from Angela Cuozzo-Zarro, President of the Auxiliary; Mary Ellen Clyne, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer; Frank Mazzarella, MD, Chief Continuum of Care Officer; Teresa DiElmo, MSN, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer; Javier Alvarez, Director of Patient Experience and Tania Manago, Assistant Director of Patient Experience and Volunteer Services.
“We’re so grateful to have the members of the Auxiliary who lend their support to the Medical Center day after day, and time after time," Mary Ellen Clyne, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Clara Maass Medical Center, said. “Given the commitment of our Auxilians to the Medical Center, the community and our patients and their families, we needed to reimagine the way that we honored them this year.”
Each member received a historical bookmark emblazoned with an image of the hospital’s namesake, Clara Louise Maass, along with a copy of the hospital’s newly published history book, 150 Years of Care and Compassion, and a specially-made 75th-anniversary cookie; a salute in sirens and lights was provided by the Belleville Police Department.
“The Auxiliary’s 75th Anniversary is a very significant milestone that we really wanted to commemorate, but only in a safe and socially-distant way given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Tania Manago, Assistant Director of Patient Experience and Volunteer Services at the Medical Center, said.
The Auxiliary at Clara Maass Medical Center began 75 years ago as a self-governing volunteer membership organization whose members work together to assist the Medical Center in promoting the health and welfare of the community.
The Auxiliary hosts various activities throughout the year to raise money for the hospital and the patients at Clara Maass Medical Center and to date has raised a total of $1 million through various fundraising activities.
*Photos provided by Clara Maass Medical Center*