2001

BUFFALO, NY, June 15, 2001 - More than 100 bags of trash were collected from the area surrounding the Buffalo General Medical Center campus by 40 volunteers during the Kaleida Pride Clean Up Day on Saturday, June 9.

Brian Smistek, Kaleida Health Medical Photographer, initiated the effort and then drew in forces from across the health care system.

"This event proves that good things happen when people who plan become people who perform," Smistek said. "This was an Ambassador sanctioned event with additional support and cooperation from the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (supplied refreshments and a pair of NSYNC tickets won by Donna Leiser of VNA) and the Fruit Belt Block Club. Volunteers representing BGH, Children's Hospital, DeGraff Memorial Hospital, The Women's & Children's Health Research Foundation, VNA, Kaleida Administration, the Kaleida Family of Foundations (also supplied prizes) and friends of Kaleida pitched in for the clean up."

"We hope that this effort to improve the appearance of the community in which we work will extend to other campus sites," Smistek added.

Volunteers were Craig Anderson, Rev. Richard Augustyn, Gary Brice, Dick Burd, Matt Billings, Rose Caldwell, Debbie Cimasi, Myrtle Davis, Bill Dengler, Michelle Dunham, Matt Enstice, Carrie Frank, Kathryn Garland, Phyllis Gentner, David Hess, Barbara Hole, Allegra Jaros, Alice LaGraves, Barbara Lawrence, Allen Leavens, Donna Leiser, Douglas McLemore, Sharon McNamara, Leslie Mundy, Sandi Nowak, Vivian Ojumu, Mike Olszowska, Tammy Owen, Douglas Robinson, Julia Ruffin, Kathy Schau, Marc Schrader, Jacob Schu, Joe Scrivo, Brian Smistek, Julie and Cooper Stefaniak, Marie Stelmach, Bud Tice and Atheria Ware.