On the last breezy Friday in November, leaders from The St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce arrived to the campus of the St. Cloud Regional Medical Center (SCRMC). Their goal was to present a check of the raised funds at the Chamber’s fall quarterly luncheon and expo that took place on November 2nd. The money was raised through a raffle at the event and through generous donations from the local businesses. The charity of choice where the funds were decided to be donated was the St. Cloud Regional Medical Center’s Auxiliary (SCRMC Auxiliary) under the discretion of the SCRMC Women’s Advisory Council.

“We already have a long-term relationship with St. Cloud Regional Medical Center – they are one of the partners of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce – so it was only natural that we reach out to them given that we have such a good working relationship for so many years,” said Patti Loeding, current chairman of the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce. “The Hospital is growing, our relationship is going to grow, our community is growing so I think organizations are going to grow together as the community grows.”

The local businesses raised $500 to go towards the SCRMC Women’s Advisory Council’s mammogram assistance fund which will provide less fortunate women in the community to opportunity to receive a screening mammogram.

“I know a lot of people do a lot of fundraisers but we want to help people right here in our own community,” said Marcy Theobald, chair of the SCRMS Women’s Advisory Council. “Our goal is to keep raising all year long.”

All of the money that was raised is intended to go directly back to the community of St. Cloud as well as the extended Osceola County – specifically any women going through hardship that need a screening mammogram. The women are being identified and contacted through the Council on Aging Health Clinic and St. Thomas Aquinas Clinic.

“What we are trying to do is generate people to understand that they’re right here – they don’t have to go to Orlando, they don’t have to go to Kissimmee,” Theobald explained. “If they need a mammogram, people don’t know that there is one [at the St. Cloud Regional Medical Center]  – and the Women’s Center has one so giving them a lot of information on where they live and what we have to offer.”