Wednesday, October 9, 2002
|
Wednesday, October 9, 2002 |
|
Fayette Shriners pledge towards hospitals
By CAROLYN CARY
The Fayette Shrine Club, located on Ellis Road in north Fayette County, is the home of 115 local members. They purchased a former daycare building in 1994 and are quick to participate in local community affairs as well those overseen by the Yaarab Shrine center in Atlanta. The international organization supports 18 orthopaedic care hospitals, three burn care centers and an orthopaedic and burn care unit in Sacramento, Calif. The organization brags that they have the lowest receivable rate in the world, because they send out no bills. All care of the children is totally paid for by the Shriners. They have been doing so since 1922 when the first hospital was built in Shreveport, Louisiana. It costs $1.6 million dollars a day to operate all of the centers and breaking it down, $19 a second. That cost per day has risen from $35.5 million in 1975. They point with pride to only a six percent overhead cost. Of the 95 percent of children with burns, 80 percent of them recover after care in the Shrine hospitals. A recent dinner saw the Shriners in Georgia kick off its campaign for funds and the Fayette Shriners pledged $20,000 as its share.
|
||