The East End Hospice recently announced that the Hospice Board of Directors will be presenting the 14th Annual Good Samaritan Award to Reverend Charles Cary at their Summer Gala on June 29, 2013.
The idea for a hospice first materialized during a potluck dinner at Pastor Cary’s church in the 1980’s. The concept was inspired by church member Dottie Savage’s inability to care for her ailing husband on her own, and her sincere belief that no other person should have to go through the same struggles that she experienced. In the beginning, the hospice was nothing more than a loosely affiliated organization that didn’t even have its own facilities. Eventually, what began as a grassroots campaign, stabilized into a fully functioning organization with its own locations in Riverhead and Westhampton Beach, with further plans to expand to Quiogue.
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Reverend Chuck Cary. (Courtesy p\Photo) |
When asked about the award, Reverend Cary said he was “excited,” but “humbled,” and more than anything, just “happy to be a part of the hospice’s growth.”
Reverend Cary initially served on the Hospice’s advisory board, and he currently holds an unenviable but absolutely necessary position on Ethics Committee. He has also dedicated time to the community through his work with Westhampton and Quogue congregations, Habitat for Humanity, and many other charitable organizations throughout the years. Cary is also very active in interfaith initiatives, and while he did say that standing with the dying is one of the most important and rewarding parts of being a reverend, he professed to be equally proud of his “work to promote greater cooperation and understanding between religions.”
The award will be presented to Reverend Cary at the Annual Hospice Summer Benefit, this year entitled “An Enchanted Evening.” The event will feature silent and live auctions, music, and casino games, and will be held at the waterfront estate, Sandacres, in Quogue, New York. The Good Samaritan Award was established in memory of Dorothy P. Savage, the founder of the East End Hospice. The recipient of the annual award is chosen each year to acknowledge an exceptional dedication to humanitarian causes in the community in consistency with Dorothy Savage’s own values.
“The acknowledgement of Rev. Cary’s many contributions to East End Hospice and other community organizations through the Good Samaritan Award is a special and well deserved cause for celebration. We are looking forward to supporting the continued good work of East End Hospice at its new facility on Quogue,” said co-chair of the event, Georgia Hatch.
The night will be especially meaningful for Reverend Cary because in a happy coincidence, June 29 will also mark the 38th anniversary of his ordination as a pastor.
For additional information about regular or junior tickets, or corporate sponsorship please contact East End Hospice at 631-288-7080 or visit www.eeh.org.