In The News
Canines for Stein Pet Expo 2011
The wind was howling Oct. 15, but not our four-legged furry friends who participated in the 2nd Annual Canines for Stein Pet Expo at the Erie County Care Facility.
More than 50 dogs and many pet owners dressed up for the Halloween parade. The afternoon included lots of good eats from the Erie County Care Facility and Berardi’s, identification microchips from Dr. Lynn Arnold at Critter Croft Pet Clinic, raffles and DJ music. Santa made a visit too.
Special thanks to our sponsors: District Petroleum, Firelands Regional Medical Center, Parschauer Eye Center, Advanced Paper Tubing, Critter Croft Pet Clinic, No. 2 Dog Waste Removal Service, R&L Carriers, Greg Sands and Second Chance Obedience.
3 Veteran Clubs = Recipe for Success
When Terry Kaufman was a young boy he had a newspaper route that took him inside the Ohio Veterans Home in Sandusky. There he saw firsthand the ravages of war and the caring spirit of the staff. Those memories stayed with him.
A few months ago Kaufman, a Vietnam War Veteran and member of American Legion Post 83, was at a meeting where he heard how Stein Hospice helps dying Veterans at the Sandusky Home as well as OVH in Georgetown. He, along with members of Amvets Post 17 and VFW Post 2529, offered to help raise money for the not-for-profit agency.
As a result, the First Annual Stein Hospice Spaghetti Dinner held on Sept. 18 was a great success.
More than 400 people attended the dinner, held at American Legion Post 83. Volunteers from the Veteran clubs and Stein Hospice served dinners and sold bake goods. Generous donations from area businesses filled the silent auction table. And with all of the food donated by the three Veteran clubs, a hundred percent of the money collected at the event went to support Stein Hospice’s PeaceWorks – Veteran Program.
“I am just overwhelmed by the generosity of the Veteran clubs, who went to great lengths to make sure we had everything we needed to make the day such a success. All of the money will go to help our dying Veterans and to educate and train our staff so they can better serve our brave Veterans,” said Julie Yeager, Director of Veteran and Volunteer Services at Stein Hospice.
Kaufman, who tended bar during the Sunday dinner, said he was really surprised at how many services Stein offers to Veterans and their families. For instance, Stein conducts a pinning ceremony and other special recognitions to honor the Veteran’s military service and provides grief, loss and trauma counselors who specialize in PTSD.
Tod Demore, from Amvets Post 17, spent the day in the kitchen. As he stirred the sauce (which he started cooking five days before the event), Tod talked about how Stein Hospice cared for his grandmother in the mid-1990s.
Sandusky’s three Veteran clubs hold a lot of fundraisers, but the Stein dinner was the first time the three clubs came together to work on the same event. The decision to join together for Stein made sense, Tod said. “You’re an organization that has touched a lot of people,” he said.
Put-in-Bay Summer Sendoff Includes Stein
For more than 60 years island residents and summer employees have gathered at the docks on Labor Day evening to wave farewell to passengers aboard the ferry boats. The evening includes lots of toasts, singing and fireworks, and new this year, the red bucket brigade for Stein Hospice.
In less than two hours, bystanders and party-goers filled the red buckets with dollars and coins totaling $2,200. The check mailed to Stein Hospice was even bigger, however, because Miller Boat Line matched the funds.
The Market family, who owns the Miller Boat Line, knows firsthand the kind of care Stein Hospice provides for patients and their families. Stein took care of Bill Market, who died at the Sandusky care center in 2006, and Mary Ann Market, who died at her island home in 2010.
“Stein is over-the-top wonderful,” said their daughter, Julene Market. "Many families have been touched by the fine nurses, practitioners, spiritual leaders and doctors, including our own family. We're proud to be part of this Stein Hospice fundraiser."