GREENVILLE — On Wednesday, May 23, the Darke County Shrine Club received a replica of the room name plate that is named after the club at the Shriner Hospital in Dayton.

Earlier this year, the club made good on a pledge of giving $75,000 to the hospital. They had originally planned to give the funds over the course of five years but were able to meet the entire pledge a month later.

On Wednesday, Bethany A. Deines, director of development for Shriners Hospitals for Children, attended the meeting of the Darke County Shrine Club to make the presentation. Deines said, “This club made a very generous gift to our hospital of $75,000. You are the only Shrine Club that has two naming opportunities in our hospital.”

According to Deines, the plaque has been installed for an in-patient room in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit. “What’s interesting about this room is that it is a corner room. Those are the largest rooms in the unit and are the rooms we try to put kids in first because it gives them room to move around, and it gives their families a little more space and a little more privacy. You are the first Shrine Club to get one of those corner rooms. There are only two of them and I saved them for something that was really special and significant.”

She concluded, “On behalf of our staff, but more importantly, the patients that get treated at Shriners Childrens Ohio, I wanted to say thank you very much for your support.”

Darke County Shrine Club President Dave Orrison, president of the Darke County Shrine Club, said the club raises its money by holding the Shrine jugs in front of businesses around Darke County. They also go to local businesses and ask for donations. He said they have great support from Darke County residents and businesses. Sloopy’s in Greenville also collects aluminum cans for the group, as well as the club having multiple barrels throughout the community. “We are one of the biggest donators or supporters out of Antioch out of all the units and out of all the clubs. We bring in the most and that’s kind of impressive,” he said.

The funds donated by the Darke County Shrine Club will support the Shrine Hospital in Dayton. The hospital treats children with orthopedic issues, cleft lip, spinal cord injuries and burns at no cost to the families for treatment or transportation.

This is the second $75,000 donation the club has made to the Dayton hospital. They were able to pay off the previous donation in a year and a half. “In a four-year period, we’ve given $150,000 to Dayton’s Shriners Hospital,” said Orrison. Darke County has had a Shrine Club for 34 years and over that period of time, they have been able to give $2.2 million to Shriners Hospitals.

To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected]