This week, April 27 through May 3, is National Volunteer Recognition Week.

For a number of years now, we had made an effort to recognize the work that volunteers do each and every day at Bassett Healthcare in areas such as the information desks, waiting rooms, patient representative service, gift shops, Lifeline, Cancer Information Center and various departments throughout the facility. Volunteers are also active in the Bassett clinics in Richfield Springs, Herkimer and Oneonta.

Additionally, volunteers are at work in their homes knitting chemotherapy caps, baby blankets, sweaters and compiling items for the Bundles for Babies Program. This is, we think, an impressive record and one for which we are willing to once again say thank you.

Every year we have thanked each individual who has served as a volunteer at Bassett. And this year is not going to be an exception. But we are most pleased this year to be able to include the years of service which these volunteers have done.

We will start by recognizing Bertha Mae Clancy, Evelyn Kachline and Jane Patrick who have been volunteers at Bassett for 30 or more years. Joining them as long term volunteeers are Irene Harbison, Carol Smith, Mildred Lehman, and Ruth Weeks who have volunteered from 25 to 30 years.

And finally, in the long term category, the 20 to 24 year volunteers are Hess Engelking, Katherine Perkins and Louise Weisser.

We would also like to recognize the 15 to 19 year volunteers who are Bert Kull Chapin. Mary Farmer, Gerry Fitzgerald, Ramona Goddard.

Marjorie Hart, Marjorie Hatcher, Alice Misiewicz, Leon Rathbun, Dorothy St. John, Alice Talbot, Patricia Taugher, Emily Thorn and Nancy Waller.

The 10 to 14 year volunteers include Jayne Aufmuth, Shirley Banta, Martha Beals, Betty Bosc, James Brophy, Robert Butler, Richard Carr, Cathy Coleman, Jane Curtis, Jean Davis, Sandra de Rosa, Walter Dolan, Barbara Dorsey, Ruth Druse, Larry Gardner, Beverly Garretson, Gloria Hendricks, Helen Huntington, Shirley Kahabka, Kay Kantorowski, Marjorie Ludecker, Henry Ludlam, Antoinette Ludlam, Bridget Macaluso, Janet Mathews, Elmer Mathews, Barbara Mook, Rosemary Moore, Thomas Moore, Robert Mulligan, Maureen Murray, Jean Nicholson, Marion Osterhoudt, Frances Raeder, Paul Raeder, Hana Rauscher, Ruth Redjives, Phyllis Smith, Genevieve Smith, Alice Stiles, Vera Talevi, Joan Tripp, Phyllis Vandewerker, Lois Warrell and Ethel Weir.

For their service of 5 to 9 years we recognize Ralph Blanchard, Carol Bouton, Delores Burnett, William Burnett, Ann Carr, Dorothy Chase, William Cramer, Frieda DaCosta, Jackie Dann , Arthur Dietrich, Dawne Dietz, Patricia Dornburgh, William Dornburgh, Debra Dow, George Fleck, Barbara Hall, Mona Harris, Kathleen Healy, Nancy Herman, Mary Hill, Bernice Key, Mary Margaret Kuhn, Paul Kuhn, Marjorie Landers, Ruth Livermore, Bruce Markusen, Carole Mihalko, Charlene Milnikiewicz, Helena Mlodynia, Marilyn Mollen, Elaine More, Helen Winne Mulligan, Lois O'Con, Matt O'Neill, Jocelyn Rauscher, Marguerite Risdon, Sondra Roberts, Barbara Roberts, Judy Ryan, John Saphier, Ilse Seitz, Phyllis Selan, Caroline Southworth, Burnett Southworth, Howard Talbot, Bruno Talevi, Nancy Tilton, William Triolo, Jo Anne Tyler, Helen Weber, Jack Weber, Jr., Sam Wilcox and Willa Wright.

The finally the list of Bassett volunteers who have served less than 5 years includes: Dottie Adair, Vera Ainslie, Dorothy Amaro, Elizabeth Baekeland, Rose Baeurle, Mabel Baker, Vera Barnes, Joan Bedell, Joseph Bellew, Dale Bellino, Wayne Benjamin, Jean Blades, Esther Brooks, Lindsay Buel, Christopher Burleigh, Charles Carrier, Joanne Centenera, Bill Centenera, Alicia Chase, Elizabeth Clark, Sue Conklin, Fred Culbert, Linda Cunningham, Nancy Curtis, Deb Dalton, Susan DeForest, Barbara de'Romain, Martha Dodge, Mary Dygert, Patrick Fenton, Jean Finch, Dorothy Gardner, Sue Garvin, Eve Geary, Ann Geiger, William Glockler, Janet Gorman, Chester Gould, Anita Graham, Marion Green, Karen Greenwood, Martha Grossi, Ursula Hage, Claudine Haig, Anne Hall, Janette Hansen, Tam Harmon, Edmund Hart, Betsy Hawn, Laurie Hext, Dorothy M. Hilts, Fay Huntington, Nancy Irvin, Richard Jakes, Marie Johansen, May-Britt Joyce, Gary Kehoe, Janet Kerr, Joan Klem, Sharon Kosinski, Barbara LaCava, Jane Levene, Genevieve Licci, Jean Macaluso, Martha MacGloin, Carla MacMillan, Lee Malone, Francis May, Sheila McKilligan, Carolyn McLean, Jane McMahon, Robert Merritt, Gail Monington, Pat Mower, Connie Nassar, Susan Newman, Louis Nicholson, Laura Noble, Laura O'Shea, Francis M. Palczynski, Susannne Palumbo, Robert Paul, Kenneth Penny, Grace Penny, Theodore Peters, Jr., Melissa Phillips, Elinor Pollock, Josephine Pylinski, Doris Reiss, Helen Rhyde, Erna Richards, Wanda Richards, Helen Roberts, William Roberts, Giles Russell, Jane Anne Russell, Sharon Ryan, Katie Sanford, Bill Senif, Edmond Shultis, Freda Shultis, Jean Smullens, Carolyn Soderman, Marlene Spencer, Christina Stack, Mary Stannard, Katherine Sullivan, Karin Svahn, Dorothy Tilbe, Lois Timmerman, Helen Tirrell, Julie Tirrell, Ann Vamvakias, Maria Vann, Martha Vaules, Pam Wightman, Andrea Wilfeard, Mary Williams, Cindy Wilson, Mary Wright and Peg Young.

In closing, we congratulate all these wonderful volunteers for a job well done.

And we salute them all for the number of years they have dedicated themselves to volunteering at Bassett Healthcare. Should you see any of these individuals during Volunteer Recognition Week, please take a moment to acknowledge their valuable contribution. Anyone who is not now member of this august group, but would like to be, should contact the Volunteer Services Department at 607-547-3190. There is no time like the present to become involved.

We remain,

In these Otsego hills,

Where nature smiles,

The Ellsworths

The Ellsworths may be reached by mail at 105 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326, by telephone at 607-547-8124 or by e-mail at gbecle@wpe.com. They look forward to hearing from you.