By Mollie Allen
mollie@thenewsobserver.com
The amount of hours McCaysville native Wanda Patterson has dedicated to serving Fannin Regional Hospital, its people and its patients has reached 17,000, and that number is continuing to increase.
Patterson, a loyal member of the “Pink Ladies,” also known as the hospital auxiliary, was recognized at the organization’s meeting Thursday, July 15.
In the late 1970s when the hospital was just hitting the ground running, Patterson perused a local newspaper and ran across an article announcing the very first organizational meeting, thanks to the encouragement of Ruth Walker, who helped spearhead the Pink Ladies.
The first task Patterson was handed was participating in the auxiliary-sponsored bloodmobile.
She also manned stations at health fairs and raised funds to get the group started as well as to help acquire needed “extras” for the hospital.
Patterson currently heads the Calling Committee and has also served as president and vice president of the Pink Ladies, and chair for several other committees within the group.
Over the years and with the growth of the hospital, the duties of the Pink Ladies evolved, but most notably, the amount of volunteers willing to devote their time has declined.
Despite the changes, and even being sent home for over a year as a result of COVID-19, Patterson has rolled with the punches and says she has done so as a result of her joy in helping others and being active in her community.