St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary was awarded a Gold Award of Excellence Sept. 7 at the annual Kansas Hospital Association convention.

The award was earned by completing 18 requirements. The auxiliary’s mission is to promote and advance the welfare of St. Luke Hospital and Living Center and Marion County Home Care.

“St. Luke Auxiliary Shoppe, which opened Dec. 29, 2005, has been a huge success, both for the hospital and for the City of Marion,” auxiliary spokesperson Elora Robinson said.

Money raised through the shop in 2017 provided two scholarships, remodeling of living center patient rooms, iPads and software for Marion County Home Care, a pediatric room in the physicians’ clinic, and a blanket warmer and spa tub for the living center. Total expenditures were more than $78,500.

The auxiliary also contributed $25,000 toward its pledge of $125,000 for the hospital complex remodeling project.

More than 15,000 volunteer hours were logged in 2017. According to a Washington, District of Columbia source, the value of a volunteer hour in Kansas was $22.56. At that rate, auxiliary volunteers contributed $338,400 of labor.