Braselton Rotary Club sponsoring flag plaza at new NEGA Hospital Braselron

Next year, Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton will be opening and those coming into the healthcare facility will pass by the flag plaza which the Rotary Club of Braselton will be sponsoring.

At a recent meeting of the civic organization which currently meets at 7:30 a.m. on Thursdays at The Legends Clubhouse at Chateau Elan, members voted to be the philanthropic supporter of the flag plaza.

"This is a major project, possibly a very important legacy for this club," said Rotarian Tony Funari, who along with fellow Rotarian Paul Maney, a member of the hospital board, formulated the proposal for the Braselton Rotary Club to become the first donor to the outdoor naming opportunities at the new Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton.

Private anonymous donors and public donors, including IBM, will be joining with Rotary in the project which will evoke a sense of pride of country when guests arrive and see the flags flying in the breeze. The club becomes the first civic organization to give at the signature gift level.

"We are talking about a 50-year legacy to be had at very little cost," said Funari before welcoming Nancy Colston, medical foundation executive director, to the podium. She was joined by campaign manager Maggie James. Funari mentioned the hospital’s support of the club’s golf tournaments and other projects and support of employees as Rotarians. He also noted the membership attraction potential for Rotary with signage prominently displayed.

The Hospital Foundation feasibility study found the community was looking for creation of a healing environment and an extraordinary destination for wellness and the design of the hospital, the first new net, not replacement, hospital in Georgia in 20 years, incorporates the goals identified by the community.

Also included in the design are outdoor spaces created as destinations for wellness. Hope, healing and wellness are part of the master plan and there are 12 naming opportunities among the gardens and other outdoor spaces. One of those is the Rotary flag plaza at the entrance to the hospital’s rotunda.

This is gorgeous property and the plans are to enhance it with green initiatives to capitalize on the natural beauty, said Colston.

Partnering with two firms, the health care system and the foundation have a design which patients, families and staff can enjoy and be a part of, said Colston.

Colston said the flag plaza was actually designed with Rotary in mind. Service Above Self is the Rotary motto and Rotarians have long been involved with the health care system’s mission.

The flag plaza is an opportunity for the Braselton Rotary Club to have a partnership with the new hospital for years to come. The Northeast Georgia Health System has been a sponsor of the Rotary Club’s golf tournament and other fundraisers for years and both have been involved in sponsoring the Braselton-Hoschton Relay For Life since its inception.

Colston said she wants to educate other people about the community partnership opportunities with the new hospital. There are plans for an area of honor inside the rotunda where those supporting the hospital will be recognized. Acknowledgements will also be provided at the grand opening festivities. Charter member recognitions and acknowledgement in Communicare, the health care system’s publication which is distributed to 70,000, will be provided.

The new hospital will be a meeting destination, according to Colston. An educational component will be provided to tour groups and visitors about Rotary as well as about the power of serving one’s community.

"Philanthropy is the difference between a good hospital and a great hospital," said the late W. Woodrow "Woody" Stewart, when he was chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital Foundation. An honor graduate of Jefferson High School, he earned a football scholarship to Furman University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1960.

Colston said the example you set for others to follow is important and Rotary is making a difference in the community by being the first to support the new hospital’s outdoor naming opportunities.

There are also opportunities to enrich the hospital within its walls such as in the chapel.

For information about assisting the Medical Center Foundation in its efforts on the Braselton hospital campus, call 770-219-8099 or visit www.TheMedicalCenterFoundation.org.

The Medical Center Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Northeast Georgia Health System. The Foundation is a volunteer-driven and supported program.