By Brian Cahill
I’ve met some incredible people over the years, but none who have been more courageous and committed than the team at Shore Medical Center who are on the frontlines of this pandemic. These workers, including the doctors, nurses, clinical support staff, security officers, EVS workers, plant operations, and dietary staff are truly Shore Healthcare Heroes.
When Shore heeded the direction of the government to shut down non-emergent services, we did so to fully concentrate every possible resource on protecting these heroes and caring for COVID-19 patients. This shutdown of services, combined with the preparation of the facility and purchasing of PPEs, took a financial toll on the hospital, so we reached out to our community for support. We have been blessed with generosity, as community members and local businesses have donated money and supplies to help Shore in its time of need.
I would like to share with you the inspiring efforts of one community leader, and his name is Chris Monihan of Monihan Realty in Ocean City. We are extremely grateful to Chris, his wife Andrea, and their two daughters, Renee and Maren, for what they have done for our hospital.
In late March, Chris reached out with an idea to raise money for Shore Medical Center. He and his neighbors, the Bickings family – who have a close friend who is an ER doctor at Shore – told me that they were going to sell yard signs and donate all of the proceeds to the hospital to offset costs for PPEs for staff and other expenses related to the care of COVID-19 patients. When he said he would pay for the cost of the signs and deliver them, I was blown away. He had such passion and energy for the project, and it continues to grow.
“We are very excited about the success of the fundraiser,” said Chris Monihan. “We didn’t exactly know how many signs we would sell and are surprised by the overwhelming support and community camaraderie it has created. I first ordered 200 signs and was hoping to sell all of them and raise $5,000. To date we have sold 300 signs and raised close to $15,000 and I just ordered 100 more signs. “
Chris continues “People seem to really enjoy the signs and are eager to buy a sign to show it off on their front lawns. We have been seeing groups of neighborhoods and streets where several residents all buy signs together after spreading the word. We have delivered signs to many towns throughout Cape May and Atlantic counties and are very grateful for everyone’s donations. We are continuing to sell and deliver signs each day and ask for anyone who can, to please donate to the Shore Medical Center’s Covid-19 Fund and they will get one of the signs for their front lawns.”
If you would like to contribute to this fundraiser and receive a #shoreheathcareheroes sign, please visit www.shoremedicalcenter.org and click on the home page banner which reads “Donated to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund. Donate $25 or more and click the box to indicate you would like a lawn sign.
Brian Cahill is the Director of Marketing for Shore Medical Center/Shore Physicians Group. He is also on the Board of the Somers Point Business Association, an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at Stockton University, and is a founding member of Somers Point-Community First, a local volunteer organization.
