Grand Junction, Colorado (Crex) — The Fraternal Order of Eagles (Eagles Club) presented a check for more than $17,000 to Community Hospital on Friday. Funds from the check will go toward the hospital's diabetes education program.
Eagles Club member Ruth Hankins told WesternSlopeNow she has a personal connection to the effort.
“I wanted to give back to the community that supported my dad through his battle with diabetes, losing both his legs and both his arms and probably enabling him to live longer,” Hankins explains.
For Hankins, the year and a half it took the club to raise the funds was well worth it.
“This is a generational issue, and it's not just about me. It's my brothers, my sisters, my grandmother, my mother, my aunts… I'm proud to be a part of this community that's raising funds to support my work,” Hankins told WesternSlopeNow.
Community Hospital CEO Chris Thomas told WesternSlopeNow the hospital has been fortunate to partner with the Eagles Club for the past decade.
“You can't walk around Community Hospital without seeing something the Eagles Club is involved in, so we're very fortunate that they chose us to support them and we're happy to be able to give back,” Thomas said.
If you would like to donate to the Community Hospital Foundation, Website donation page.