LAKEPORT, Calif. – Sutter Lakeside Hospital wishes to recognize the Sutter Lakeside Hospital Volunteer Auxiliary for their loyal history of support of the hospital’s mission to care for Lake County.

The 27 member auxiliary was founded in 1967 to assist with patient and family needs and to fundraise for hospital equipment.

Currently, the auxiliary oversees a chaplain program and a student volunteen program. The auxiliary also operates a thriving gift shop within Sutter Lakeside Hospital.

Since 1998, the auxiliary has presented Sutter Lakeside Hospital employees with $77,120.29 in health care-related scholarships.

From 2006 to date, it has granted approximately $39,000 in scholarships to local Lake County high school students who wish to pursue health care degrees.

Many of the auxiliary members have donated hundreds of hours of their time to the hospital, from escorting families to patient rooms to preparing new baby gift baskets for moms who give birth in the Family Birth Center.

Alberta Knoll, manager of the auxiliary’s gift shop, has volunteered a record 8,200-plus hours of her time and former Auxiliary President Gena Bartholf has accumulated more than 5,000 hours of service.

“We literally could not provide the kind of quality patient experience that we’re known for without our auxiliary,” said Sutter Lakeside Chief Administrative Officer Siri Nelson. “They do an enormous amount for us with very few members and they do it with such enthusiasm. We all appreciate that they devote their time and energy to making Sutter Lakeside such a positive place.”