WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH … A message from AVH Foundation
H
ow do we thank sewing enthusiasts who handstitched hundreds upon hundreds of masks for Aspen Valley Hospital clinicians and patients?
How do we thank the individuals who donated amounts ranging from $1.00 to $1,000,000+, allowing AVH to set up a Respiratory Evaluation Center, perform COVID-19 tests, continue operations and fund the final phase of our Master Facilities Plan? How do we thank the gentleman who surprised staff on all shifts with brunch from a local restaurant — and was so moved by photographs of their “thumbs-up” appreciation that he repeated his gracious generosity again and again? This is the challenge we face, a thousandfold, in acknowledging our community’s extraordinary support for AVH and Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation in 2020. No two ways about it: The past year was challenging for the Foundation. We began 2020 hoping to raise the remaining $12 million so we could close our $60 million capital campaign and break ground on the final phase of AVH’s Master Facilities Plan. Instead, we had to pivot quickly and focus on the Hospital’s immediate and critical response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the community pivoted right alongside us, with an overwhelming outpouring of support from long-time, first-time and former donors. EVERY GIFT A TREASURE Today, it may be difficult to recall the fear and uncertainty of last spring, which was heightened when Aspen became only the second place in Colorado with a documented case of COVID-19. Yet even in those first months, people stepped up to support AVH in many ways: n A local florist donated a bouquet of flowers to each staff member on their birthday. n A local construction company donated its inventory of unused N95 masks.
2 0 HEA LTH MATTERS | SP RI N G 2021
