Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc.

Opening

The monthly meeting of the Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc. was called to order at 11:38 a.m. on May 3, 2018 at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers by Shamie Kelly, President.

Announcements

• Anniversaries: Chelsea Bley-Kidney (5/96), John Craig-Heart (5/1/1993), Joseph C. Haug, Jr.-Heart (5/2/1997), Michael Janvier-Kidney (5/27/2002), Greg Okon-Heart (5/14/2007), Wayne Ormsby-Kidney (5/30/2003), Norma Waughn-Liver (5/1/2002)
• Visitors: Peter Meehan- 2^nd or 3^rd visit, currently in stage 4 liver failure seeking out second opinions, advice of other patients, and exploring transplant hospitals. Lois Carnes- new member, attended Jason’s Deli fundraiser at which time she decided to join our group. Received two lung transplants, one in 2003 and one in 2007 and she has just learned that her kidneys have been compromised by the immunosuppressants so she is looking for a referral to a good nephrologist in the area for continued monitoring of her condition.
• Member Updates/Celebrations: Today is our treasurer David Weinstein’s birthday! Janet and David have brought a cake to share with us to celebrate his special day. He will also be having eye surgery next week and this is the last eye surgery that he will be able to have so please keep him in your thoughts during this time. President Shamie Kelly will now be taking an “active member” role within the Junior League which is a change from her much more involved role in the past. Jenniene Moran’s son will be traveling to Argentina soon and he has made first class flight arrangements for her to travel out to his home where she will care for her grandchildren while he is away.

Reports

The Secretary’s report was approved and submitted for posting to the website. Treasurers report shows a previous balance of $3161.95 with contributions of $5.00 in membership dues, $55.00 from the monthly 50/50 drawing, and $7835.32 which is 50% of the Night for Life XI proceeds mutually agreed would be given to the group this year for promotional materials resulting in $7895.32 in deposits. $65.43 was paid to Shamie Kelly for food leaving an ending balance of $ 10991.84

Old Business

• Night for Life XI-

David Weinstein suggests members of the group start planting the seed now with our regular contributors and sponsors that our next Night for Life event date will be announced soon so that they will have it in the forefront of their minds when asked again soon to participate. Shamie Kelly agrees and hopes to begin planning by the end of this month. As a reminder the 50% agreement of proceeds from the event coming back to the group was for this year only, a new agreement will need to be decided as to what percentage will come back to the group going forward. Shamie plans to talk to the Lee County Medical Society to gain their support for the event. To ensure the events success, more group member participation is required. Shamie Kelly and Melissa Tuff will work on updating the groups use of technology, more specifically the creation and implementation of a Square, PayPal, or both to allow for the purchase of event tickets online as well as the ability to accept donations electronically via the website and Facebook pages.

• Jason’s Deli-

Our most recent fundraiser held at Jason’s Deli netted our group $4, we will begin planning our next fundraiser at the June meeting. Location to be decided upon at that time.

New Business

• Fundraising Opportunities-

Although our last fundraiser did not net a significant amount, we were able to make some promising connections. The marketing manager for Texas Roadhouse happened to stop in for dinner and took Melissa Tuff’s business card to discuss potential fundraising opportunities in the future with them at their Fort Myers location. Melissa will follow up as she has not heard from him yet. Melissa will also do some research into other comedy clubs besides the Laugh-In Comedy Café where we have held our previous fundraisers so that we will have more variety of location.

• June Speaker-

We anticipate having a speaker next month from Riverchase Dermatology

• Upcoming Events for Possible Group Participation-

We are in the United Way’s directory. Paul Lewis will work with his contacts to see about setting up a information table at FGCU to educate students on the importance of organ donation. September 29^th is the Walk like MADD Dash at Jet Blue Park, Shamie will find out about how we can get registered to have an information table at the event as we have participated in the past. Shamie would also like to organize a “Give Life Day” at Bell Tower to be completely hosted by our group. Shamie is also meeting with Chris at Quick Copy to create our promotional materials and she hopes to have some proofs for the group to review at the June meeting. Melissa Tuff suggests a possible weekday or weekend 5k fun run/walk in downtown Fort Myers to raise awareness for organ donation and the support group. Paul Lewis will also try to gather information on who we need to contact to organize such an event.

• Membership-

Members are encouraged to bring family and friends to become members of the support group. Also be sure to take group flyers to leave in the medical offices of any physicians that may be treating them so that other patients may see them and become interested in joining the group. The discussion has come about again to hold a quarterly evening or weekend meeting for those who would like to be members but cannot attend due to work or other scheduling conflicts. Next month we will discuss this further and try to plan for our first meeting of this type to be held in August.

• Night for Life XII-

This year’s forms will have a space to indicate whether sponsors plan on using their seats and if so, how many will be in attendance. A follow-up will be done to verify this number at least one week prior to the event as to prevent any confusion or empty tables.

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 1:50 p.m. by Shamie Kelly, President. The next general meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. on June 7, 2018, at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers.

Minutes submitted by:     Melissa Tuff, Secretary

Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc.

Meeting Minutes

April 5, 2018

Opening

The monthly meeting of the Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc. was called to order at 11:37 a.m. on April 5, 2018 at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers by President, Shamie Kelly.

Announcements

• Anniversaries: Derrick Thompson-Liver (4/6/1997), Joseph Myers-Heart (4/9/1997)
• Visitors: Peter, learning about liver transplant
• Member Updates: None

Reports

The March Secretary’s report was approved and submitted for posting to the website. Treasures report shows a previous balance of $2761.52 with contributions of $10.00 in membership dues, and $485.00 in other donations resulting in $495.00 in deposits. $94.37 was paid to Carlene Brennan for food leaving an ending balance of $3162.15 for the month of April.

Old Business

Night for Life XI Wrap Up:

• Planning time- We will have the date for next years event in May and we can begin planning much earlier. Floor opened to discussions on what works and what does not work well for this event.
• Music- Entertainment should not be the focus, perhaps the group should hold a social event to review possible acts.
• Emcee- Ensure they have everything they need to be more prepared.
• Speakers- Long but good. Make sure speakers stick to 2-3 minute speeches next year.
• Tickets- Lots of empty seats and tables, push sales next year!
• Auctions & checkout- Overall better than last year but we need everyone to work together next year on ticket sales and donation solicitation, we cannot keep depending on the same people. Paul Lewis suggests we implement a link to purchase tickets on the website without using PayPal.
• Committees- Each committee and subcommittee should be comprised of at least 2 people to serve as backups.
• Paperwork- Revamp the sponsorship form to include a line where the sponsor can indicate if they will be attending and if so, how many seats are needed. If the leave the field blank their seats may be sold to other guests. In addition, follow-up with sponsors a couple of days to a week in advance to confirm attendance.
• Goodie Table- This was a success! This could be a permanent replacement to the time-consuming process of preparing guest bags in advance.
• 50/50 & Raffle- Have someone canvas the dining area next year to sell tickets, this was a missed opportunity this year.
• Invitations- Make sure to extend invites to more prominent people.
• Pictures- Next year try to find a professional photographer or place disposable cameras on tables for guests to take pictures at the event. Another missed opportunity since our only pictures this year came from Electric Lipstick’s Facebook page.

New Business

• Website- Ask Bob to include a “calendar of events” for the upcoming events page and include Night for Life XII’s date TBD
• Fundraisers- Jason’s Deli Fundraiser Tuesday April 24^th from 4-8 pm at the Cypress Lakes location. There is a sign-up sheet online and same as last time we need a minimum 20 person confirmation in order for the event to go forward. This will be a good opportunity to inform people about our group and possibly recruit new members.
• 50/50- $25 went to winning member and $25 came back to the group

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 1:48 p.m. by President, Shamie Kelly.. The next general meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. on May 3, 2018, at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers.

Minutes submitted by:     Melissa Tuff, Secretary

Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc.

Meeting Minutes

March 1, 2018

Opening

The monthly meeting of the Organ Transplant Recipients of SWFL Inc. was called to order at 11:51 a.m. on March 1, 2018 at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers by Shamie Kelly, President of the group.

Announcements

• Anniversaries: Gerard (Jerry) Eichhorn- Kidney (3/6/1991)
• Visitors: None
• Lunch update: This month’s lunch is pizza but next month we will have a catered lunch delivered since we will be having a guest speaker.
• Member Updates: Jenniene Moran have been having some medical issues but would like to report that her kidney is doing fine! Mike Terry reports that they have found the issue with his ear and it is being treated so he is feeling better. George Frye is also feeling better and celebrating his 80^th birthday on Saturday. Norma Marlin Martin hurt her back but is keeping busy planning her high school reunion which is also why she has not been active with planning the Night for Life event as she has in the past. Kim’s fiancé Nick who is waiting for a heart has been moved to the top of the list and they are hoping that means his heart will be coming soon.

Reports

The February Secretary’s report was approved and submitted to Bob for posting to the website. Donna Williamson reports the Fletcher Fund balances as of this meeting were $228,136.93 in total funds and $11,197 in grants were given in the past year. Just a reminder that The Fletcher Fund Application is available on the OTRSWFL webpage. Treasures report shows a previous balance of $1467.32 with contributions of $45.00 in membership dues, $30.00 from the monthly 50/50 drawing, a donation of $20.00 from DitUSA, a deposit of $30.00 under “other,” $910.00 from our Laugh-In Comedy Café Fundraiser, $174.59 and from our Jason’s Deli Fundraiser resulting in $1,409.59 in deposits. $115.39 was paid to Carlene Brennan for food leaving an ending balance of $2761.52 for the month of March. Membership report: as many of you may have noticed our membership is dwindling. Members are encouraged to leave our literature in their relevant physicians and clinics offices as to inform others of our existence. Paul Lewis suggests we organize an awareness walk downtown which Melissa agrees could be a good social event as well. It was also suggested that we inquire about our information being provided to other transplant hospitals such as Cleveland Clinic in Weston and Tampa General as not all members may get transplanted locally. The United Way hosts a non-profit event that we can see if we can take part in as well as FGCU and Southwestern Florida College could also be good outlets at which to get our name out. Any member with other ideas to attract new members please feel free to share it with Shamie, Mariann, or Melissa. Lastly, Shamie Kelly would like to report that going forward Quick Copy will be used to print our business and rack cards and possibly a new roll down display to be used at events. That way we are not only utilizing their services for Night for Life printing.

 

 

Old Business-

• Prayer- Melissa Tuff made the motion that whomever chooses to do the prayer at the beginning of our monthly meeting do it however they feel comfortable and then a moment of silence will be observed at its conclusion to allow for others to observe their personal beliefs. Donna Williamson seconded the motion thus the motion passed.
• Fundraising- Due to the success of our last Jason’s Deli fundraiser we have been invited back and our next event is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24^th from 4-8 pm. This time we will be able to set up a table which provides us with an opportunity to inform people about our group.

New Business

• Kidney Walk- Melissa and Shamie are working with Savanna Lantza of the National Kidney Foundation to get a photo booth donated and some type of media coverage be it television or radio. Dr. Biondi and Dr. Mogilishetti of the Lee Health Transplant Institute are scheduled to speak at the event.
• Night for Life XI- Quick Copy has been confirmed to sponsor our printing for the event. The band Electric Lipstick has been confirmed and for anyone who would like to see them perform beforehand they will be playing at Rusty’s Raw Bar & Grill in Cape Coral this weekend. For any auction item donations or questions please see Cheryl Abraham if it concerns Chinese Auction items and Melissa Tuff for silent. As discussed, our theme for this year is “Donor Families” so Shamie will open up the evenings speeches and we need two more speakers. Possible suggestions were Sherry who is Donna Williamson’s neighbor, Kathy St. Clair’s donor who participated in a paired exchange, the family of the young boy who was in the news recently that became a donor, and perhaps the family of Greg Allman. Carlene Brennan had an article placed to promote the event in the Florida Weekly and Shamie is waiting to head back from her media contacts in regard to their coverage of Night for Life. Caroline and Tim offered to help with Chinese Auction ticket sales to give Cheryl a break to eat and enjoy the show. Joyce Rudder has offered to help with silent. The 50/50 will be ran by Paul, Tim, and Manny (Eric) if he can make it with Frank and Carlene to aid with greeting arriving guests. David and Janet Weinstein, along with Donna Williamson will be handling check-in and registration as well as check out at the auctions conclusion. David and Melissa will attend the meeting with Broadway Palm on the 16^th to discuss the new layout. As of now we have only sold 12 tickets so be sure to share the event on Facebook, take plenty of flyers to distribute and make sure to tell all of your friends! We have confirmed sponsorships from Lee Health at the $5000 level, DaVita at $500, Dr. Malohoni(?) at $500, Riverchase Dermatology at $500, and Center Pharmacy at $500. Section A seats are not being sold as they are being held as backup for VIPs.
• General Announcements- Paul Lewis would like the group to know from 10-2 on Saturday there will be a health fair at the Villas Community Center. Melissa Tuff would like to announce her attendance to the National Kidney Patient Summit once again this year. She will be attending next month to push for our legislator’s support on H.R. 3867; an amendment to title XVIII of the Social Security Act to create care management demonstration programs for chronic kidney disease under the Medicare program, and for other purposes and H.R. 1270 the Living Donor Protection Act. Please support her hard work by contacting your congressman and demanding their support on these two important bills. Also, Melissa is raising money for her own transplant while spreading awareness to the need for organ donation through her online Bonfire t-shirt sales. If you are interested in purchasing one of her “Organ Donation – Let’s Taco ‘Bout It” t-shirts, please see her, or her Facebook for more details on how you can order. Lastly, Rick Keatley’s annual Organ Recipient Picnic at Scherer State Park in Osprey, FL is on Saturday March 24^th for all who would like to attend. There is an event on Facebook and you are encouraged to contact Rick to let him know how many to expect for food purposes.

Adjournment

Meeting was adjourned at 1:32 p.m. by Shamie Kelly, President of the group. The next general meeting will be at 11:30 a.m. on April 5, 2018, at The Sanctuary located at 8960 Colonial Center Drive in Ft. Myers.

Minutes submitted by:     Melissa Tuff, Secretary