?TEAM Turner? Donates Van to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
Photo available for download. Captions available at end of release.
(Baton Rouge) - When the founder of Turner Industries, Bert Turner, recently passed away, he left a van with 3,000+ miles on it equipped with a wheelchair lift on the back. “The Turner family is wonderfully generous, as the community well knows,” said Tobie Craig, marketing director, Turner Industries Group. “Bert’s son Thomas, vice chairman and chief operating officer of the company, announced that the family wanted to donate Bert’s wheelchair van.” Further, it was decided this would be a project for Turner Industries’ volunteer group, TEAM Turner. “The team was charged with finding worthy organizations and deciding which one would reflect the company’s mission of directly impacting the most people,” said Craig.
“Some of the nonprofit organizations considered didn’t have anyone to drive the vehicle. Others had no need for the wheelchair lift. Some needed a vehicle to transport merchandise and would have removed the interior seating,” Craig explained. But when the person who put forth Mary Bird Perkins’ name called to find out how such a van might be utilized, it was a perfect match. “The Center in Baton Rouge has one van to transport patients who have no other way of getting here,” said Carolyn A. Chassee, CFRE, vice president for development and chief development officer. “Part of the funds we raise each year help maintain that vehicle which now has 65,000 miles on it.”
Renea Duffin, executive director of the CARE Network, oversees the budgeting and use of the patient transport van. “This donation is a wonderful gift for our patients. When our existing van is down for maintenance, we have no backup and experience challenges in getting people to and from their appointments. Now we have a ‘plan B’ and we can also alternate the use of the vehicles to maximize the longevity of both.”
“TEAM Turner was happy with the choice their group made,” said Craig. “The Turner family was exceedingly pleased with that fact.”
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has been fighting cancer for over 35 years with locations in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond, Houma and soon to be in Gonzales. It has integrated cancer programs with Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge and St. Tammany Parish Hospital in Covington. These programs are accredited by the American College of Surgeons – the gold standard for community-based cancer care. For more information visit www.marybird.org.
###
Photo 1 Caption
Surrounded by TEAM Turner Volunteers, Vice Chairman and COO of Turner Industries Thomas Turner, presents the keys to a 2007 Chrysler Town & Country handicap- equipped van to President and CEO of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Todd Stevens. Looking on are (left) Carolyn A. Chassee, CFRE, vice president for development, MBP and (right) Renea A. Duffin, executive director, CARE Network, MBP.