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Pennies for Patients Committee Forms
Members will help raise funds for St. Barnabas Charities

Gibsonia, Pa. - Jan. 30, 2008 - A committee of 11 school, political and business leaders are planning the 11th annual Pennies for Patients campaign. The campaign will officially kick off on Feb. 13 at Curtisville Primary Center and will aim to raise more than 2 million pennies for the St. Barnabas Free Care Fund. Donations may be deposited into special Pennies for Patients containers on display at local businesses, or dropped off at St. Barnabas Charities, 5850 Meridian Road, Gibsonia.

The Free Care Fund provides assistance to poor and low-income patients at St. Barnabas Nursing Home, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas and The Arbors at St. Barnabas who otherwise would not be able to afford their care. St. Barnabas has a mission of never turning away a patient because of inability to pay.

The Pennies for Patients campaign is one of the Charities' many fund-raising efforts throughout the year. Operating under the motto, "Pennies do count," it seeks the support of school children, businesses, civic groups and individuals to collect spare change for needy patients.

Serving on the committee are:

• Tom Henry, campaign chairman, Tom Henry Chevrolet
  
• Kathy Campbell, state Sen. Jane Clare Orie, 40th Senatorial District
  
• Anna Marie Catanese, Curtisville Elementary Center
  
• Bob Cirilli, National Corvette Restorers Society
  
• Melissa Farabaugh, state Rep. Randy Vulakovich, 30th Legislative District
  
• Patrick Gallagher Aramark
  
• Ramona Henderson, St. Barnabas/Valencia Woods Auxiliary
  
• Mike Hritz, state Rep. Mike Turzai, 28th Legislative District
  
• Jody Malcolm, Mars National Bank
  
• Craig Patterson, Turner Dairy Farms
  
• Denis Ranalli, Coldwell Banker Real Estate
  

Pennies for Patients fund-raising efforts will continue through May. For information on how to get involved, call Debbie Panei, director of development, at (724) 444-5521.

About St. Barnabas, St. Barnabas Health System is the largest health care concern of its kind in Pennsylvania and offers service apart from the ordinary in a faith-based, non-denominational setting. Tracing its heritage back to 1900, the system serves approximately 900 inpatients and residents, plus 35,000 outpatients and home care clients. The health system is composed of the St. Barnabas Communities, including The Village at St. Barnabas, The Washington Place at St. Barnabas and The Woodlands at St. Barnabas; St. Barnabas Clinical Services, including St. Barnabas Nursing Home, St. Barnabas Medical Center, Valencia Woods at St. Barnabas and The Arbors at St. Barnabas; the Kean Theatre; and St. Barnabas Charities, the fund-raising arm.



Contact:
Kathleen Brenneman
(724) 444-5530
kbrenneman@stbarnabashealthsystem.com





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