Zoar United Church of Christ Holds Virtual Fundraiser for Our Healthcare Heroes

Zoar United Church of Christ Holds Virtual Fundraiser for Our Healthcare Heroes

COVID-19 didn’t stop Memorial Cardiac Rehabilitation employee and Zoar United Church of Christ parish health nurse Shelly Doerr, RN, CCRP, from pivoting one of the church’s popular annual events into a virtual one that raised money to benefit Memorial’s Healthcare Heroes.

Doerr has been organizing a health and wellness fair along with a car cruise at her church for many years. Memorial’s Community Outreach team participated in providing health screenings. To add interest to the event, Doerr added a car show and titled the event Car-diac Car Cruise and Wellness Fair. This year, however, the event usually held in April had to be canceled due to COVID.

Also due to COVID, Doerr’s department closed in March, and she was reassigned to work as a screener. Instead of helping cardiac patients exercise following a cardiac event, she found herself at one of the hospital entrances asking a series of standard questions and taking temperatures.

“This was an eye-opening experience for me,” Doerr said. “It gave me an opportunity to get to know the nurses and staff who worked firsthand with COVID patients.” Newly hired nurse Jackie Richardson was pulled to work on the COVID unit. “Her bravery and the stories from other healthcare workers inspired me to help them in any way possible,” Doerr added.

In July, when COVID numbers had stabilized a bit, Doerr decided to hold a virtual event to benefit our Healthcare Heroes. She organized a drive-thru car event, held at the end of August. Each car show participant drove through and provided a cash donation. They received a “Dash Plaque,” an attendance prize, bottled water, and a digital picture of their car. The photos were transformed into a “Virtual Car Show Event,” which could be viewed on YouTube via the church’s website.

Proceeds ($600) from the event were presented to Memorial’s Healthcare Heroes. Churches Help Network also received $600 from Doerr’s virtual event. “It’s our way of saying ‘thank you’ for what you do,” Doerr said. 

Captions

  1. Rodney Doerr driving wife Shelly’s 1955 Chevy Bel Air. This car has been in the family since new.
  2. Robert Bridges, former Cardiac Rehabilitation client, stops by to support the cause in his 1974 MGB Roadster. In the passenger seat is his goodie bag donated by BJC HealthCare and Zoar Parish Health Ministry.
  3. Cathy Brandt, member of the Zoar Parish Health Ministry, hands over an attendance prize to car owner Thomas Ormesher at the drive-by registration stand. He is driving a 1957 Chevy Bel Air.
  4. Shelly Doerr poses with Mike Gough, a former Cardiac Rehabilitation client, in his 1965 Shelby Cobra Factory Five MK.