Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s quote, “Traditionally we are taught and instinctively we long to give where it is needed….” clearly describes the organization, known today as the Littleton Regional Healthcare Auxiliary. This amazing and energetic group of women started off with vim and vigor. When the hospital was dedicated on June 27, 1907, the Women’s Board had beautifully decorated all of the patient rooms with linens, towels, etc. In the early 1920s, the Women’s Board oversaw the operation of the diet kitchen and purchased all of the food for patient meals. They also underwrote the cost of an elevator in the hospital. This Auxiliary sponsored card parties at area resort hotels and summer homes to raise monies. Betty Davis, a notable summer resident, arranged for a world premiere of her film The Great Lie at Jax Cinema; she donated half of the proceeds to a special fund at the hospital. In the early 1950s, the Auxiliary funded new operating room and laundry equipment. Subsequently, the Auxiliary began a health careers scholarship fund; a program still in place today.
Early Auxiliary Presidents
In 1975, Jewel Fogg, Auxiliary president from August, 1972 – September, 1974 began an in-house volunteer program. Littleton Hospital hired Jewel as its first director. The year 1975 marked another milestone for the Auxiliary, at which time an Auxiliary representative became a voting member of the Hospital Board of Trustees.
Jewel Fogg
Today, the Volunteer Department (which began as an offshoot of the Auxiliary) has more than 240 volunteers. They provide high-quality, compassionate customer services to Littleton Regional Healthcare’s (LRH) patients, visitors, and community members.
Volunteers staff key areas throughout LRH, including the Main Entrance Reception Desk, Medical Office Building Information Desk, Upper Atrium Registration Desk, Lower Atrium Information Desk, and the Same Day Surgery Desk. Volunteers also staff our Gift Shop and Gift Kiosk. They also help over 20 departments within the hospital. In addition, they transport patients from one appointment to another and keep patients company if they want a friendly ear. The Volunteer Department’s Complementary Therapy program continues to grow, as well. The many talented community members bring massage therapy, reiki, aromatherapy, guided meditation, and music therapy to our inpatients. Inpatients may also request a visit from one of the hospital’s visiting volunteers or certified therapy dogs.
One of the greatest observations about the Auxiliary over the years is that once a person became an active member, she stayed involved for many years (decades in many instances). The first male member who paid his dues voluntarily joined the Auxiliary in 1981. Originally named “The Women’s Board”, the leaders of the organization once again voted to change the name to the Littleton Hospital Auxiliary, reflecting the fact that men were welcome to join the Auxiliary. Having the continuity of membership allows this organization to endure the test of time.
Past Auxiliary Presidents
Since 1994, when several Auxilians completed the Littleton Hospital Auxiliary1982-1994 history, the organization has added many different fundraisers and continues to generously support LRH’s programs and services. These include a Celebrity Waiters Night, a Rubber Duck Race, an annual golf tournament, a Holiday Cookie Sale, publication and sale of cookbooks, Books Are Fun sales, and more. These fundraisers allow the Auxiliary to support programs such as a Garden Tea Party and Hospital Week Ice Cream Sundaes for volunteers and staff, scholarships to staff and local high school graduates pursuing a healthcare career. The Auxiliary also provides hospitality in the Emergency Department during the February vacation week, as visitors to the area with winter sports injuries come to LRH for care.
Carroll Campbell
Debra Harris
From its humble beginning in 1906, when Dr. William Beattie, one of the founders of the Littleton Hospital, thought it prudent to form a Women’s Board, the Auxiliary today is a robust organization that continues to thrive and contribute to the mission of Littleton Regional Healthcare in countless ways.
We owe a debt of gratitude to the women who carefully and generously documented and edited these Auxiliary histories over the years:
- Dorothy H. Cummings published a 50-year history (1906-1956)
- Jewel Fogg and Carroll Campbell published a history of the next 25 years (1956-1981)
- Debra Harris, Jewel Fogg, Pat McMahon, and Hasu Dave published a history from 1982-1994)
- Community-wide Country Fair. This annual event ran from 1961 until 1989 and earned nearly $300,000.
…and, posthumously, to Frances Heald, a benefactor of the LRH Volunteer Program, who wrote a “Forward” to Auxiliary histories from 1906-1994.
To read these stories, we provide you with PDF documents that showcase the Auxiliary’s vital role in the growth and sustainability of LRH since its beginning in 1906.
- Forward [176 KB pdf]
- Auxiliary 1906 – 1956 [317 KB pdf]
- Auxiliary 1956 – 1981 [257 KB pdf]
- Auxiliary 1982 – 1994 [480 KB pdf]
- Auxiliary Highlights 1947 – 1981 [996 KB pdf]
- Auxiliary Country Fairs 1961 – 1969 [273 KB pdf]
