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Guild to raise awareness of children's center

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE

dlwhite@tampatrib.com

Published: May 6, 2009

BRANDON - All Children's Specialty Care of Brandon has been headquartered at 885 S. Parsons Ave., just south of Brandon Regional Hospital, since 2006.

But the center's director, Margie Wells-Friedman, said residents constantly ask her what the center does, what services it provides.

"Most people have no idea," she said. "We're a well-kept secret in the community."

A group of people are well aware of what the center is and what it offers, however.

More than 250 children who have received treatment at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg visit the center each week.

All Children's Specialty Care of Brandon serves as a satellite treatment center for the hospital. Parents living in the Brandon area whose children need regular treatments for illnesses or follow-up appointments with doctors can bring their kids to All Children's Specialty Care instead of making the longer journey to All Children's Hospital.

Physicians, nurses, therapists and other specialists from the hospital visit the 20,000-square-foot Brandon center periodically to provide speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, audiology services, physical therapy, laboratory services, health screenings, pulmonary testing, EKGs, X-rays, gastroenterological, neurological, pulmonary, orthopedic, urological and infectious disease care.

"We get the most difficult cases referred to our hospital," Wells-Friedman said. "And parents have to drive great distances to get to us. Anything we can do to bring our services closer to them is a major help."

Specialty Care of Brandon is one of two satellite centers the hospital runs. The other is near the University of South Florida. Together, the two satellite centers serve 17,900 children a year.

Staff at the hospital hope the formation of a new guild will raise awareness about Specialty Care of Brandon and increase its profile in the community.

The Brandon branch of the All Children's Hospital Guild kicked off April 2 with the election of officers and plans for its first fundraiser.

After the guild elected Valrico resident Connie Smaldone as president of the guild, Smaldone announced plans to run for honorary mayor of Brandon - with proceeds from her campaign fundraisers benefitting the guild.

Smaldone is the first candidate to announce plans to run in this year's mayor's race sponsored by Roundtable Charities of Greater Brandon, which hosts the annual Brandon Fourth of July parade.

In a Brandon tradition that dates back more than 50 years, candidates for honorary mayor host fundraisers between June 1 and July 4. The candidate who raises the most money for his or her designated charity is declared the winner.

Smaldone will have an edge in this year's race. Her campaign manager is 2008-09 honorary mayor Tammy Holmberg, also a member of the newly formed guild. In addition to sponsoring a candidate, the guild plans to put up a tent in front of the center during the parade and offer face painting and other activities and put All Children's Hospital's Model T ambulance in the parade.

About 30 residents were on hand for the first guild meeting, at which Wendy Wood, a 10-year member of the Largo guild and chairwoman of the guild council, gave the group an overview of the guild's purpose and history.

Brandon's chapter is the ninth branch of the guild, which was formed in the late 1920s in an effort to wipe out polio. As the polio threat died down, the guild focused on becoming a partner with the children's hospital, providing awareness and fundraising for the nonprofit facility. The guild is $479,000 shy of a $4 million fundraising campaign to build a new neonatal unit.

Other officers with the new Brandon chapter are Liz Brewer, vice president; Jack Debowsky and Collette Newman, who will share treasurer duties; Leslie Humphrey, corresponding secretary; and Arlene Jacobs, recording secretary.

Debowsky accepted the guild's first checks during the first meeting. Holmberg donated $810 from a fundraiser at her restaurant, Chick-fil-A at Lake Brandon Village on Causeway Boulevard.

And Rich Strehl, president of the Junior Angel Program, a chapter of the Greater Brandon Community Foundation for young people ages 7 to 17, announced that the junior angels had raised $500 to purchase a television and DVD player for the specialty care center.

For information, contact Smaldone at csmaldone@verizon.net.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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