Picture Caption (L to R): Megan Barone, Director of Development, UPMC Chautauqua; Peter Sullivan, Co-Chair LINKS Charity Golf Tournament; Kristin Melville, Executive Director, WCA Foundation; Derek Dawson, LINKS Golf Tournament Committee Member; Mike Roberts, Co-Chair LINKS Charity Golf Tournament; Cecil Miller, VP of Operations, UPMC Chautauqua; Ben Windoft, PGA Professional, Moon Brook Country Club; Anthony Cusimano, Manager, Moon Brook; Sitting L to R: Barb Lyons, LINKS Charity Golf Tournament Committee Member; Becky VanRiper-Brooks, LINKS Charity Golf Tournament Committee Member; Holly Sullivan, LINKS Charity Golf Tournament Committee Member

Missing: Elaine Short, LINKS Charity Golf Tournament past chair; Karen Roberts, LINKS Charity Golf Tournament committee member

LINKS Charity Golf Tournament is saying it’s last farewell to 30 years of great fun, support, friendships, and fundraising. “It’s been a spectacular ride,” stated Peter Sullivan Co-Chair to the event. “We were able to raise over $158,000 in support of local cancer care at UPMC Chautauqua, which brought the total to over 1.8 million in the past 30 years. This last year proved just how important the tournament has been to everyone in the community. While we were able to produce a great event, it wouldn’t have been possible without our sponsors, friends and family of LINKS. We want to give out one last clink of our glass and toast all of those who participated in LINKS over the years. Your dedication and commitment has proven that we can do anything we set our minds to: TO SUPPORT LOCAL CANCER CARE!”

“We are so happy our sponsors came together, our players, our LPGA Pros and Legends, and our families to unite this legendary tournament that started with a vision of Sondra Anderson and Mary Blair and executing it with Allen Shorts commitment along with his wife Elaine the first years and the last with Brad VanRiper’s building it beyond the expectations. We couldn’t be more proud of the accomplishments they achieved for local cancer care supporting over 1.8 million dollars to UPMC Chautauqua. They have saved many lives over the years with the state-of -the-art equipment and early diagnostic testing. LINKS Charity will continue it’s legacy of supporting local cancer care needs through an endowment fund at WCA Foundation,” stated Megan Barone, Director of Development, UPMC Chautauqua.  

If you would like to make a tax-deductible gift to support LINKS Charity please contact Kristin Melville, Executive Director, WCA Foundation 716.664.8665 or mail your tax-deductible gift to: WCA Foundation, P.O. Box 840, Jamestown, New York 14702-0840.

The WCA Foundation Board of Directors has announced the hire of Kristin Melville as the Foundation’s executive director. Melville, a Jamestown native, has over a decade of experience in fundraising and executive leadership.

Melville is a graduate of the State University College at Fredonia and Jamestown Community College. She received advanced fundraising training in Major Gifts, Planned Giving, and Capital Campaigns through the Veritus Group, a national fundraising consultancy for fundraising executives.

Melville has worked as the director of philanthropy in the healthcare industry in Maine where she led successful fundraising campaigns in the completion of capital and annual funds resulting in $50M in fundraising revenues. She recently completed the initial campaign work for a new hospice administration and bereavement center in southern Maine. She served as the Director of Development and Community Relations at Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice; Hospice of Southern Maine; The Salvation Army – Northern New England Division; and senior leadership positions at Maine Health hospitals.

She is an accomplished writer in healthcare philanthropy and business publications. As a consultant, she has conducted training in donor solicitation, capital campaign assessments, annual campaigns, and donor recognition.

She is a former mentor with Senator Olympia Snow’s Women’s Leadership Institute; a member of the Maine Women’s Fund; Planned Giving Council of Maine; Association of Fundraising Professionals; National Hospice and Palliative Care Association; National Council on Planned Giving; and the New England Association of Healthcare Philanthropy. Melville said, “I am delighted to return to my hometown and to support the healthcare needs of communities in Chautauqua County. The WCA Foundation’s philanthropic support has improved healthcare through the purchase of vital medical equipment and healthcare services at the University of Pittsburg Medical Center Chautauqua (UPMC) supporting patient care close to home. Caring for patients where they live is important for both patients and their families. Patients have much better health outcomes when they receive expert care close to home.  I grew up in Jamestown. My mother was a surgical nurse at WCA Hospital for 30 years and my dad was a Jamestown Police officer. Both knew the importance of living and working in the community they cherished.”

James Pullen, Jr., Board President said, “The WCA Foundation Board is pleased to welcome Kristin. Her extensive experience in fundraising, executive leadership and knowledge of the community will benefit patient care. We look forward to her leadership, especially at a time when philanthropic support is needed the most.”

Melville will reside in Jamestown with her husband, a retired civil service administrator.  Melville began the position on October 11.

The WCA Foundation is a 501 c3 not-for-profit supporting foundation to UPMC Chautauqua. It is independent from the hospital. All donations to the Foundation stay in Jamestown, as well as grant awards to the hospital. FMI: Visit wcafoudationjamestown.org. Offices are located at 51 Glasgow Avenue, Bldg. F, PO Box 840, Jamestown, NY 14701-0840.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cummins employees donated $8,000 through the proceeds of  a gift basket raffle.  Proceeds from the event  will benefit patients receiving treatment for breast cancer. Since 2017, Cummins employees have supported breast cancer patients at UPMC Chautauqua. Employees from all shifts donate items for the baskets and sell raffle tickets.

Photo Caption (L-R): Stacy Kramer, Team Manager; Kristin Melville, WCA Foundation Executive Director; and Melissa Rhodes, Logistics Team Member. Not pictured: Marilyn Hoyt, 3^rd shift Assembly Flow Coordinator.

Employees of the WNYDDSO – Ellington donated a gift of $100 to the Shades of Pink Fund that supports patients in treatment for breast cancer.

Photo caption (L-R): Tracey Cunningham, Sherri McCall, Denise Anderson, Wendy Symans, and Holly Ruslink.

Dianne Courtney- Freeman, Director of Mammography at UPMC Chautauqua was part of Runnings Breast Cancer Awareness Event. As an educator, Dianne was available to talk with the public about prevention and the importance of annual mammograms.

Anne Sischo, founder of the Shades of Pink Fund at the WCA Foundation encouraged many Running’s shoppers to make a donation to the fund. The Shades of Pink Fund assists underserved women to receive mammograms and helps to support navigator certification. In addition, the fund supports the purchase of vital medical equipment and treatment for breast cancer at UPMC Chautauqua.

WCA Foundation thanked UPMC Chautauqua by volunteering and supporting their holiday meal on December 24. 

Pictured: L-R: Stephanie Walker-Williams, James Pullan, Jr., Kristin Melville, and Cecil Miller

Photo Caption: ( L-R) Tammara Card-Hodges, Director of Imaging; Kristin Melville, Executive Director, WCA Foundation; Brian Durniok, UPMC Chautauqua CEO; James Pullan, Jr., WCA Foundation Chair; Cecil Miller, Vice- President of Operations; and Megan Barone, UPMC Chautauqua Development Director.

Jamestown – The WCA Foundation presented UPMC Chautauqua with a grant allocation of $627,556 to support the purchase of vital equipment, services, and staff scholarships. The WCA Foundation was incorporated in 1982 as a supporting foundation to the WCA Hospital, now UPMC Chautauqua. The mission of the WCA Foundation is to support healthcare at UPMC Chautauqua.

The funds will support almost every department of the hospital.  Highlights of how the funds will be used include the purchase of a Voluson Sonogram for the Maternity department that is used to objectively measure and evaluate fetal head progression in the second stage of labor. In addition, a bladder scanner that would decrease unnecessary invasive procedures such as catherization’s. Two procedure chairs for the wound center will allow patients to be safely cared for and help with their mobility during treatment.

“The WCA Foundation is pleased to partner with UPMC Chautauqua to fund equipment and projects that would not be expected to be found in a hospital of our size,” said WCA Foundation Board Chair James Pullan, Jr. The donation is made possible by individual giving and endowed funds established by community donors, many who were grateful patients and former staff who believed in the importance of high-quality patient care, close to home.

Kristin Melville, WCA Foundation Executive Director said, “This is a tremendous gift to the community and especially at a time in our lives where skill, faith and trust is paramount in healthcare. All gifts to UPMC Chautauqua through the WCA Foundation stay within our community hospital and benefit the citizens of Chautauqua County.”

FMI: The WCA Foundation is a 501c3 organization whose mission is to support healthcare at UPMC Chautauqua. To learn more please visit: wcafoundationjamestown.org or contact their offices located at Jones Health, 51 Glasgow Avenue, Jamestown, 716-664-8665.

UPMC Chautauqua employees received scholarship awards through the Dr. Harold and Joyce Childress Fund at the WCA Foundation: Megan Barone, Tammy Bimber, Ashton Bird, Emma Blasius, Sara Kuhns, Andrew Pezzulo, Jaci Spoon, Samantha Vanbukskirk, Kristi Wragge, Jen Zabala and Kristin Johnson. Each of the scholarship awardees are pursuing career advancement in their field of nursing, business, and education that will benefit all areas of patient care within the hospital.

The Childress Fund at WCA Foundation was established in 1995 by Dr. Harold Childress, an orthopedic surgeon at WCA Hospital, and his wife Joyce. The fund benefits cancer treatment, hospital medical library, and hospital staff scholarships.

Childress, a native of Kentucky, practiced medicine from 1939 to 1994 in Jamestown. He was the first physician in Chautauqua County to serve in World War, II. Following the war, he resumed his Jamestown practice where he served as a medical staff of both former area hospitals, the WCA Hospital and the Jamestown General Hospital. He retired in at age 71 for just two weeks. He returned to his active practice.

Dr. Childress valued learning and in his 91 years never stopped his education. He published a book, Unique Experiences, Easy Does it that chronicles his experiences as a physician and his work in the Army and with prison inmates facing death row at San Quentin and Joliet prisons. A life-long health enthusiast, he was often spotted swimming in the chilly waters of Chautauqua Lake in the spring and fall. Dr. Childress died in 1996 at age 91.

On January 9, we said goodbye to colleague Daniel A. Johnson who passed away. Dan was the Director of Rehabilitation Services at WCA Hospital and UPMC Chautauqua for over 40 years. Many area residents will recall him as an outstanding professional, family man, friend, and patient advocate. Dan and his wife, Linda, who was also a long-time hospital employee, created the Daniel A. Johnson Scholarship Fund to provide general education scholarship funding for UPMC Chautauqua employees. Dan will be greatly missed, but his life’s work will carry on through UPMC Chautauqua employees who will continue Dan and Linda’s wish for quality patient care in our community.

To make a gift to the Daniel A. Johnson Scholarship Fund, please send your donation to the WCA Foundation, C/O the Daniel A. Johnson Scholarship Fund, 51 Glasgow Avenue, PO Box 840, Jamestown, NY 14702-0840 or at www.wcafoundationjamestown.org secure website. https://www.post-journal.com/obituaries/2022/01/daniel-a-johnson-2/