More than $80K raised at Bridgeport Hospital Auxiliary gala

Nearly 150 people attended the recent Bridgeport Hospital Auxiliary spring gala at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield and helped raise more than $80,000 that will be put toward the modernization of the Allison Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the Dr. Tom Kennedy Toy Closet, therapist scholarships for Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers and other grants and programs.

For the third year, the highlight of the gala was “Dancing with the Hospital Stars,” a dance contest inspired by the popular television program. Six hospital staff members each were paired with a professional dancer from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Southport. The competition was won by Paul Possenti, the hospital”™s chief surgical physician assistant and director of trauma services, emergency preparedness and emergency medical services. 

Other contestants were anesthesiologist Lisa Caramico, nurse anesthetist Theresa Donnelly, operating room nurse Dana Genarelli, performance management coordinator Nickia Jackson and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology Harold Sauer.

“All the dancers were wonderful,” said Auxiliary President Bonnie Molloy, who oversaw planning for the gala with event co-chairs Amparo Castillo, Rita Crispino and Kim Miranti.