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Three unidentified hospital Auxiliary woman with dolls to be sold at Economy Cottage.
Hospital Auxiliary members
Second from right: Willa Hanson of the Hospital Auxiliary
Hospital Auxiliary
Long before the doors of Maple Ridge Hospital opened, a group of women were working behind the scenes to help bring the dream to reality.
These devoted ladies were the original members of the Senior Hospital Auxiliary, who joined forces in 1953 to raise money for a hospital for their community.
Under the leadership of Mrs. Jackson they began small; catering banquets, holding card parties and selling lost and found items donated by the BC Electric Bus Company. Individuals donated hand-crafted items to be sold and members did whatever they could to raise money for the cause. The members also encouraged local community groups to give to the hospital.
In 1957 a second auxiliary was formed, named the Stella Branch, in honour of founder Stella Chapman.
In 1964, the auxiliary's Economy Cottage opened its doors, providing the community with used clothing and miscellaneous items. Close to 1,000 hours were spent sorting, pricing and operating with new venture in the first year.
With the founding of the Junior Auxiliary in February 1958, came a special focus on the children's ward. This auxiliary dedicated itself to supplying the children's ward with items such as toys and books. As well, it decorated the patient's trays during holiday times, and Christmas stockings and gifts for the children, magically appeared thanks to these auxiliary elves.
When the hospital opened in March 1958, the three auxiliaries had already become a driving force behind the well-equipped health care facility.
Since the three auxiliaries were working towards a common goal, they decided to amalgamate, and on March 2nd 1978, the Maple Ridge Hospital Auxiliary was created with 193 members. This same year, the Auxiliary began sponsoring the Candy Striper Program, and opened a permanent gift shop in the hospital.
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