![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theholles.com\/tildablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Award2sm1.jpg\" "\\"Tilda")
<\/a>Tilda and Daryl<\/p><\/div>\n
The purpose of the gathering was held very confidential.\u00a0 Tilda and I knew something was going on as we were asked to show up at Chautauqua Park in Boulder to meet a portrait photographer in front of the Boulder Flatirons for a picture taking session.\u00a0 We also received an invitation in the mail from Julie Adams, the Volunteer Director of Exempla Hospital, to show up at the cafe at 3 p.m. on June 3rd.\u00a0 I questioned everyone in the Volunteer Office at each hospital as to what was going on and all I could get in response was \u201cnone of your business right now\u201d or \u201cyou’ll have to wait and see\u201d and many times absolute quiet followed my question.\u00a0 Tilda even tried her best to break the silence by sitting up straight in front of the organizers and begging for an answer (and maybe a treat if she was lucky).\u00a0 Nothing, no comments, absolute secret that was well kept.\u00a0 If I ever needed to tell someone a secret, I know first hand it would be safe with these people.<\/p>\n
At the celebration, Pat Dimond, who is the Volunteer Director of Boulder Community Hospital and also now President of the Colorado Association of Healthcare Auxilians\/Volunteers, stood up and talked about something she called \u201cOnce in a Blue Moon Award\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 The following wonderful story was written and told by Pat:<\/p>\n
The origin of the elusive \u201cOnce in a Blue Moon\u201d award<\/em> by Pat Dimond<\/em><\/p>\n Back in September 2000 an older gentleman came into the Boulder Community Hospital Volunteer Services Office.\u00a0 He sat in a chair and said he would like to volunteer.\u00a0 He said he would do anything that needed done.\u00a0 Then he started to softly cry.\u00a0 His wife had just died and he knew he needed a reason to get out of the house.\u00a0 He was 88 years old and lived with his son and daughter-in-law.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t want to be a burden and needed to be productive.<\/em><\/p>\n He became our \u201cdispatch\u201d mail service volunteer.\u00a0 He volunteered Monday through Friday \u2013 rain or shine.\u00a0 The only thing that would keep him from coming to volunteer was 1) an ice storm, 2) a trip to visit his other son in North Carolina or 3) a scheduled gambling expedition to Black Hawk.\u00a0 Once, when his daughter-in-law was recuperating from surgery and his son suggested he stay in North Carolina for a bit longer, he called, arranged and paid for a temporary room at an assisted living facility because the people at the hospital \u201cneed me\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n He was a man of routine \u2013 he would come in every morning promptly at 8 a.m. \u2013 go to the cafeteria and have his breakfast \u2013 oatmeal or cream of wheat and toast.\u00a0 Then he would pick up his mail cart and do a \u201cround\u201d visiting all the departments throughout the hospital.\u00a0 This would take him until 9:30 a.m. when it was time for his break.\u00a0 He would head back to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee.\u00a0 15 minutes later he was ready for his second round.\u00a0 Lunch was at noon.\u00a0 Lunch was\u00a0 30 minutes \u2013 no shorter \u2013 no longer length of time.\u00a0 He always had an entourage surrounding him.\u00a0 After lunch he would come to our office or another one to help with mailings or other projects.\u00a0 At 3 p.m. he\u2019d put on his coat and tip his hat and say \u201cGoodbye ladies.\u00a0 See you tomorrow!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n He knew everybody at our Broadway campus by name.\u00a0 He knew who was a new employee, who was retiring; who was on vacation (and where); who was sick; who was getting married, having a new baby or grandchild\u2026 He knew because he truly cared about every person he met.\u00a0 And everyone loved him in return.\u00a0 He was everyone\u2019s father or grandfather.<\/em><\/p>\n In 2008 he suffered a stroke.\u00a0 Even though he was a Kaiser patient he got special permission to stay at BCH because we were his family.\u00a0 When he was transferred to the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit, he called down to our office \u2013 he was bored.\u00a0 We would take work up to him.\u00a0 The therapists even retrieved his mail cart to help him gain his strength and practice walking \u2013 much more effective than a walker!<\/em><\/p>\n 2009 saw several more strokes.\u00a0 It got harder and harder for him.\u00a0 Then, on New Year\u2019s Eve, 2009, he left us \u2013 on the night of a blue moon.\u00a0 We mentioned at the time how appropriate it was for him to take his leave that night because a person as rare and special as he was only comes along once in a blue moon. <\/em><\/p>\n We held a memorial for him at the hospital for the employees who wouldn\u2019t be able to attend his funeral.\u00a0 One of the staff members suggested that a special award be named for him \u2013 the \u201cOnce in a Blue Moon\u201d award. <\/em><\/p>\n We think it\u2019s very appropriate that all four hospitals in Boulder County came together to honor two rare and special volunteers, Jan and Daryl and their four legged partners with this award.<\/em> [End]<\/p>\n What a terrific and humbling honor this has been to receive this Blue Moon award:<\/p>\n Once In A Blue Moon Award for Daryl & Tilda<\/p><\/div>\n In case you are wondering what a \u201cBlue Moon\u201d is and how often it occurs, here is a clipping of a newspaper article written in December 2009 just before the passing of Pat Dimond’s referenced Volunteer:<\/p>\n \u201cTHERE will be a blue moon on Thursday as New Year’s Eve revelers welcome in 2010 – the first time since 1990 that a blue moon has coincided with the end of the year.<\/strong><\/p>\n A blue moon – the second full moon in a calendar month – happens only every 2\u00bd years on average. This month, full moons occur on December 2 and December 31.<\/strong><\/p>\n Astronomer David Reneke from Australasian Science magazine said it was rare for the event to happen on New Year’s Eve – another blue moon will not fall on the last day of the year until 2028.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n The next Blue Moon will be August 31st, 2012, with the first full moon for that month arriving on August 2nd, 2012.\u00a0 So indeed it is a bit over 2.5 years in between Blue Moons.<\/p>\n Jan & Daryl<\/p><\/div>\n Jan Fincher and myself are both very dedicated to the operations and promotions of the therapy dog programs at all four hospitals.\u00a0 We both enjoy our work very much.\u00a0 One day, over a cup of coffee at Starbucks, Jan and I brainstormed an idea to start a website uniting all four hospital therapy dog programs that would explain the details of each program and allow a place for people wanting to enroll themselves and their dogs to sign up and be put on a waiting list for a future class.\u00a0 I told Jan that I could do the website work if she would write the words and like magic the work began immediately.\u00a0 We worked diligently with these four hospitals for approvals, procedures, applications and implementing their ideas and suggestions.\u00a0 It was a tremendous joint undertaking by everyone.\u00a0 Hence, http:\/\/www.therapydogsbouldercounty.com<\/a> was born and it has really brought together the wonderful talents of all the hospitals and their Volunteer staff.<\/p>\n The honoree Jan Fincher is well known as a therapy dog classroom instructor.\u00a0 She develops the curriculum, procedures, rules and most base regulations that all four hospitals use to operate their therapy dog programs.\u00a0 She also teaches the classes for each hospital and is very well known for her dog behavioral skills.\u00a0 Her dog Katie was a very popular therapy dog for many years working at Boulder Community Hospital and helped start the dog program at Longmont United Hospital.\u00a0 Katie died a few months ago and everyone misses her a great deal.\u00a0 She was a very talented visitation dog.\u00a0 Jan’s great work is all voluntary as are all the volunteers working with these programs.\u00a0 Jan spends countless hours and many gallons of gasoline supporting the hospital therapy dog programs in Boulder County.<\/p>\n Tilda and I have gone through the enrollment process for all four hospital therapy dog programs so we learned quickly how each program works and are constantly looking for ways to help the program to be even better than it was when we arrived.\u00a0 Therapy Dogs perform a most important function within the Volunteer Services departments of each hospital.\u00a0 Since these dogs do such close work with patients, visitors, visitor families and staff each day, it becomes paramount that each dog be tested for good behavior, be healthy, be well-mannered and that it passes all the class criteria and the individual hospital criteria all at the same time.\u00a0\u00a0 The human part of each team (called the \u201chandler\u201d) also has to go through specific training and orientation for each hospital.\u00a0 A lot of effort goes into these programs to make sure everything is safe, scheduled and well organized.<\/p>\n The individual therapy dog organizations operating at the Boulder County hospitals are:<\/p>\n Avista Hospital:\u00a0 Animal Helpers All therapy dogs working in hospitals are required to wear a dog vest and have a dog badge pinned to the vest with their picture.\u00a0 Handlers must also wear a picture badge and the Volunteer uniform for that specific hospital.\u00a0 The next time you see a dog team in any of the above hospitals, walk up to them and introduce yourself and thank them for their time and expense to make some lives just a bit more tolerable that day.\u00a0 It will be appreciated and makes us all work even harder to keep the smiles on faces wherever we go.<\/p>\n Thank you Katie and Tilda!<\/p>\n Thanks to all who had a role in this recognition.\u00a0 I am honored.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Representatives for Boulder, Exempla, Lafayette & Louisville Hospitals with Jan & Daryl<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I am so excited to tell this story.\u00a0 It has the makings of the most wonderful Tilda Dog Blog ever.\u00a0\u00a0 On June 3rd, 2011, the Volunteer Services Directors, Coordinators and therapy dog program leaders from four Boulder County hospitals gathered … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theholles.com\/tildablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Award-11.jpg\" "\\"Once")
<\/a>![\"Jan](\"https:\/\/theholles.com\/tildablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Award11-2sm1.jpg\" "\\"Award11-2sm\\"")
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\nBoulder Community Hospital:\u00a0 Canine Corps
\nExempla Good Sam Med Cntr:\u00a0 Caring Canines
\nLongmont United Hospital:\u00a0 TAILS\u00a0 (Therapy Animals In Loving Service)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/theholles.com\/tildablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/Award9-1.jpg\" "\\"Award9-1\\"")
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