Generous support helps achieve fund-raising goals at the 52nd annual AORN Congress for the AORN Foundation: Sunday, April 3, to Thursday, April 7, 2005

AORN Journal,  June, 2005  

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The AORN Foundation was established in 1992. Its mission is to raise funds to provide support for AORN's educational, leadership, and research goals. Each year at Congress, the Foundation holds two of its major fundraising events. Following are some of the ways that the AORN Foundation has supported AORN members individually and at the Chapter level this year.

* The AORN Foundation awarded $137,000 in scholarships in 2004. These awards were given to student nurses and bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree candidates.

* The AORN Foundation awarded $126,920 in grants for the 2005 Congress. The Foundation was able to award these grants because of the generosity of The Integra Foundation, the Exhibitor's Advisory Committee, and The Competency & Credentialing Institute, formerly known as the Certification Board Perioperative Nursing. The grants were distributed to 60 chapters, two members-at-large, 57 OR managers, 101 staff nurses, and 10 student nurses.

BLACK TIE GALA

The New Orleans Marriott was the site for the AORN Foundation's annual Black Tie Gala at Congress. June Ricards-Mock and Hal McLeod, who finished their terms on the Foundation board of trustees, were honored at the Gala. Sam Gowers, director of sales at Health-point, McLeod's employer, presented Sheri Voss, president of the Foundation board of trustees, with a $5,000 check in McLeod's honor as a contribution to the Perioperative Nursing Exhibit at the International Museum of Surgical Science.

During the Gala, Foundation board members expressed their appreciation to the benefactors of the 2005 Gala. Premier table sponsors were

* 3M Health Care;

* Clarian Health Partners;

* Ethicon, Inc;

* Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Inc;

* Healthpoint, Ltd;

* Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems;

* Tyco HC/Kendall LTP;

* Tyco HC/US Surgical; and

* Zimmer.

Preferred table sponsors included

* Alliance Medical Corp;

* Cardinal Health Medical Products & Services;

* Clarian Health Partners--Perioperative Services;

* Genesee Associates, Inc;

* Getinge USA;

* Integrated Medical Systems International, Inc;

* Mobile Instrument Service;

* Novation;

* Owens & Minor;

* Sandel Medical Industries;

* Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services;

* STERIS Corp;

* Stryker; and

* Tyco HC/Valleylab.

EIGHTH ANNUAL 5K RUN/WALK

Runners took their marks in the predawn darkness of Audubon Park to participate in the AORN Foundation's eighth annual 5K Run/Walk. A total of 547 Congress attendees registered for the event. The winning male runner was Dennis Barrett, RN, CNOR, CRNFA, AORN of North Central Minnesota, with a time of 19:09. The winning female runner was Lori Donovan, RN, CNOR, AORN of Mid-cities, Texas, with a time of 21:10. This was the first time in a number of years that the first-place winners were nurses.

The Foundation would like to recognize and thank the following sponsors who helped underwrite this event:

* 3M Healthcare;

* Advanced Sterilization;

* Alcon Laboratories, Inc;

* Ansell Healthcare;

* Atrium Medical;

* Clarian Health Partners;

* Cryolife, Inc;

* Ethicon, Inc;

* Ethicon Endo-Surgery;

* Healthpoint, Ltd;

* Huntleigh Healthcare, LLC;

* Johnson & Johnson Health Care Systems;

* Lone Star Medical Products, Inc;

* Marsh Affinity Group Services, a service of Seabury & Smith;

* Megadyne Medical Products;

* Microline Advanced Laparoscopic (also sponsor of race portfolios);

* Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation;

* Olympus America;

* Propper Manufacturing;

* Regent Medical;

* Sandel Medical Industries;

* Tyco Healthcare/Kendall LTP;

* Tyco Healthcare/United States Surgical; and

* Zimmer.

Proceeds of the Run/Walk will help fund AORN's 2005 Leadership Conference, which will be held in Denver, July 15-17, 2005.

CHAPTER CHALLENGE

All chapters that donated during the 2005 Chapter Challenge were highlighted on the Chapter Challenge Chart at the Foundation booth in the Resource Center during Congress. The Foundation drew the name of one chapter that contributed to the Chapter Challenge between April 1, 2004, and March 31, 2005, to receive the Ruth R Shumaker Grant. The winning chapter will use the grant to help one chapter member attend the 2006 AORN Congress in Washington, DC. The Foundation would like to thank all of the chapters and each of their members who contributed to the 2005 challenge.

JEAN REEDER MEMORIAL

In 2002, the AORN Foundation established a memorial to honor the memory of AORN past President Jean M. Reeder, RN, PhD, FAAN. Dr Reeder's contributions to the nursing profession were great. She was nurse researcher, author, lecturer, educator, mentor, and a nationally recognized authority on perioperative nursing. Dr Reeder served on the AORN Board of Directors from 1986 to 1990, as President-elect from 1990 to 1991, and as President from 1991 to 1992. She received the AORN Award for Excellence in Perioperative Nursing in 1999 and the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Perioperative Research in 1994.