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RMC Foundation offers memorial bricks
By: Max Hackett
Source: The Herald-News
01-30-2008

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The Rhea Medical Health Foundation is offering a commemorative brick program in honor of the late Lanny Mauldin.

Mauldin, a community leader and long-time member of the Rhea Medical Center Board of Directors, died in March 2007 at RMC of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, at the age of 66.

A retired professional photographer, who owned successful businesses in Florida, Chattanooga and Dayton, Mauldin was a strong supporter of the Dayton community since moving from Florida in 1979.

“The Lanny E. Mauldin Friendship Fountain is in the Rhea Medical Center courtyard, and it is already surrounded by bricks,” said RMHF Director Kim Ethridge. “What we would like to do is replace all of the regular bricks with engraved commemorative bricks.”

The landscaped courtyard and fountain is accessible from the cafeteria and lobby of the hospital.

The program offers engraving using state-of-the-art laser technology, which insures strength and durability for many years, according to Ethridge.

“The engraved area is filled with hardened glass, so it doesn’t fade over time,” Ethridge said. “We researched this and found that a lot of groups that had sold commemorative bricks ran into a problem later with the engraving wearing away.”

Each brick is 4” by 8” and can have up to three lines of wording with 20 characters per line, including spaces and punctuation. A gift of $50 allows a donor to receive a commemorative certificate along with the brick being placed in the courtyard. All contributions are tax deductible.

“Donors can recognize their children or grandchildren, or an organization,” Ethridge said. “It’s a great way to create a lasting memory to someone special.”

The first order for the commemorative bricks will be sent to the manufacturer on Jan. 31, and a ceremony marking the placement of hundreds of bricks will be held in the future, Ethridge said.

“The Rhea Medical Healthcare Foundation is made up of Rhea Medical Center staff members and concerned representatives from the community,” according to the Rhea Medical Center webpage. “The Foundation exists to provide gift support necessary to enhance Rhea Medical Center’s continued leadership, excellence, compassion, and growth in providing high-quality, state-of-the-art medical, emergency, and nursing home care.”

The foundation has purchased a therapeutic whirlpool bath for the Rhea County Nursing Home, as well as a plasma freezer, an intoxilator, stretchers, emergency carts and other equipment for the hospital in the last year, according to Ethridge.

A brochure describing the program and providing an order form is available at the Rhea Medical Center website.

“Just go to www.rheamedical.org and click on ‘foundation,’” Ethridge said. “Or anyone is welcome to call me and I will deliver an order form to them.”

Ethridge can be reached at 775-8580.

Max Hackett can be reached at maxhackett@xtn.net

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