Three years shy of turning 100, a local women’s volunteer group is disbanding, driven by the sale of a local hospital.
The Auxiliary of West Suburban Medical Center has been helping to keep the hospital running for decades. In recent years, the group raised $450,000 toward the hospital’s new emergency room, and the auxiliary runs the gift shop in the main lobby.
But with the sale of West Sub to a for-profit company from Tennessee last year, the women’s group can no longer raise money for West Sub. They contemplated shifting to another nonprofit, but ultimately the best choice was to disband, said Sheila Rock, the group’s last president.
The auxiliary decided late last year, but the decision was finalized on May 25 as the 28 board members held a final meeting during a luncheon at the Oak Park Country Club. Tears were shed and memories shared at the last get-together.
“It’s exceptionally difficult,” Rock said. “It’s been a very valuable and worthwhile group for many, many years, both to the community, and to the hospital, and it’s difficult on both sides.”
The end is official on June 30, when the auxiliary plans to file papers with the secretary of state and attorney general’s offices, validating that they have disbursed their funds. About $200,000 remains in the group’s account, according to Rock, which will be split among five different organizations, which include Resurrection University (nursing school), the Children’s Clinic, and the Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation.
Rock said members plan to keep meeting for breakfast occasionally, and some will continue giving to the community in other ways.
“They’re a group of women who enjoy each other’s company, so they are going to try and get together once a month just to keep in touch,” she said.