MARION — The Friends of the Marion Visiting Nurse Association’s Board of Directors has voted to dissolve and distribute its funds to organizations that will continue the organization's mission “to promote community health and welfare," its president announced recently.

"At this time, the board will dissolve and pass the torch onto the following organizations who will continue to carry out the Friend’s mission to the young, the old, and those in need in the Marion community," Marion Visiting Nurse Association President Jeanne Daly wrote in a press release.

Daly said that the association's cash reserves would be distributed over the next month to the following groups and in specific amounts:

* Establish an endowment at UMass Dartmouth School of Nursing for qualified tritown applicants pursuing a career in nursing.  The scholarship is to be named “The Friends of Marion Visiting Nurse Association Scholarship in Memory of Ellen Keogh." Ms. Keough is a recently deceased board member who was affiliated with the UMass Dartmouth School of Nursing, $100,000;

* Contribute $100,000 to the fund to expand the Emergency Department at

Tobey Hospital;

*Grant $55,000 to fund the N.O.W. program for qualifying Sippican School students. This program would be initiated and administered by the Mattapoisett YMCA in consultation with Sippican School personnel;

*Establish a $75,0000 fund for Marion residents to be administered 

by Community Nurse Home Care, creating a wellness-based program

when insurance does not cover an individual’s needs;

*Donate $70,000 to the Marion COA, with $50,000 allocated for the purchase       

of folding walls for the Activity Room.  The additional $20,000 donation

to be used for the office renovation project presented to the Friends of

the Marion COA as a fundraising challenge toward that project;

The Marion Visiting Nurse Association (MVNA) was established in 1914 and in 1990 became a a division of St. Luke’s Hospital.  With the merger of Tobey, St. Luke’s and Charlton Hospitals to form the Southcoast Hospitals Group, the MVNA then became known as Southcoast VNA.

The Friends of MVNA were formed concurrently with MVNA becoming a division of St. Luke’s Hospital. The Friends began their fundraising efforts by accepting donations from grateful individuals who had received home care services from MVN and then continued their fundraising efforts until 1999 through their annual Rummage Sale, which was held in what is now Tabor Academy’s Hockey Rink.

In carrying out its mission over the years, the board has been able to award numerous nursing scholarships, supported a generous contribution toward the purchase of an ambulance for the Town of Marion, given to the Gleason Family Y in recognition of Dr. Gleason’s many years of pro-bono work for Marion’s Well Child Clinics, sponsored and substantially subsidized a Senior Stretch program for 25 years, contributed to Tobey Hospital’s OR Suites and updated ICU and many more programs which affected the well being of Marion’s community members.

"The Friends of MVNA wish to thank those Marion Visiting Nurses who served our community, the donors who filled our initial coffers, the past board members who tirelessly fundraised and finally the  present board members who currently serve and have cautiously watched over the funds that we are now able to pass on to other organizations serving our community," Daly said.