Students from The Michael J. Petrides School are joined by RUMC President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE as they load care packages into one of the hospital’s ambulances.
Students donate care packages, free libraries and raise funds for hospital services
Students and faculty from The Michael J. Petrides School invited Richmond University Medical Center President and Chief Executive Officer, Daniel J. Messina, PhD, FACHE to their school to present him with care packages for patients, free libraries, and a donation of $750 to support hospital services.
“I want to thank all of you for thinking of our hospital and our patients,” Messina said to the students. “It is very touching when our community comes out to show their love and appreciation for what we do, especially when its young people like yourselves. It’s our honor to be able to help people in our community and you are helping us do just that very thing. I hope you all get an A on your next exams.”
The care packages will be distributed to patients receiving treatment, including chemotherapy, in the hospital’s Infusion Center. The packages contain skin lotion, hats, socks, blankets and puzzles, among other items. The free libraries, painted by the students and stocked with books provided by Amazon, will be located in RUMC’s Pediatric Unit, the Infusion Center, and the Surgical Pavilion family waiting area. The check donation was a result of a movie night the students organized last month to raise support for the hospital as a way to say thank you to the staff for taking care of the health and well-being of the community.
Coming to the school, Messina was joined by EMTs Victoria Morano and Victoria Gonzalez, as well as Jennifer Morris, RN, and Joanne Rizzuti, RN, from the hospital’s Infusion Center.
The creation of the care packages, libraries and donation were organized by Jamie’s LILAC Foundation; John Cucuzza, a teacher at Petrides, co-founder of Jamie’s LILAC Foundation, and husband of the organization’s namesake, Jamie Moltisanti Cucuzza; the Moltisanti family; the Kindergarten class of Claudia Kamboris; Petrides Principal Anthony Tabbitas; the school’s Habitat for Humanity Club; High School Council for Unity; and Middle School Council for Unity.
Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), is a not-for-profit healthcare provider serving the ethnically diverse community of Staten Island and its neighbors. We provide premier-quality patient care through a full spectrum of emergent, acute, primary, behavioral health and educational services. We do this in an environment that promotes the highest satisfaction among patients, families, physicians and staff. For more information call 1-718-818-1234 or visit www.rumcsi.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
