Hospital's Kennedy Birthing Center benefits from Warwick Leo Club's largesse

WARWICK-What the Warwick Leo Club recently did for the Kennedy Birthing Center at St. Anthony Commununity Hospital was the best of all surprises. "We didn't expect this," said Diane Defreest, nurse manager at the birthing center, "but we always appreciate it when youngsters demonstrate their enthusiasm and support for our community hospital. It's a wonderful example for everyone to follow and a testimonial to the generosity of our young citizens." Membership in the Warwick Leo club, which is sponsored by Warwick Lions, is intended to provide young people, ages 12 n 17, with a chance to excel, to develop character traits, and to receive recognition for their contributions to the community. The acronym, LEO, explained the Club's Advisor Craig Thompson, stands for Leadership, Experience and Opportunity. The stated objective of the Leo Program is to provide youth with an opportunity for development and contribution, individually and collectively, as responsible members of the community. "All of their fundraising projects," said Thompson, "are geared to suitable needs in the community. They discuss it and they make the decision. It's part of their leadership training and it's how they develop independent thinking." The chairman of this particular Leo event, which they named, "Design a Dolly Fundraiser," was Dan Bertch. His committee members, all high school seniors, included Melissa Fischetti, Michael Marshall and Emily Thompson. After the presentation, Fischetti and Thompson, who presented the Leo Club's check, were given a guided tour of the modern facility. "We're always thrilled when young people take the initiative to do something special for our community hospital," said Leah Cerkvenik, executive vice president/administrator of St. Anthony Community Hospital. "We're especially happy that the Warwick Leo Club selected the Kennedy Birthing Center for this generous donation. The funds will be put to good use. Our goal at St. Anthony Community Hospital's Kennedy Birthing Center is to do everything we can to make childbirth a wonderful experience for everyone involved." The Kennedy Birthing Center is a state-of-the-art maternity unit, offering many new options and amenities. It combines modern technology with a comfortable, family oriented atmosphere in beautifully decorated, single birthing suites. The Center was built to provide homelike surroundings for a more natural labor, delivery and recovery right in the same birthing suite. The unit also has a C-Section Suite, a large nursery and several gynecological rooms. St. Anthony Community Hospital, a member of Bon Secours Charity Health System, is a non-profit 73-bed hospital providing emergency, medical, surgical, obstetrical/gynecological acute care services to residents of southern Orange County and Sussex County, New Jersey.