Nancy Montgomery and husband Jim Lovell to be honored

Three people from the community and a group of Hudson Valley Hospital Center employees will be honored on Thursday Jan. 23, for acts of kindness when the hospital kicks off a year-long celebration of its 125th Anniversary.

Hospital President John C. Federspiel will present awards to Nancy Montgomery and her husband Jim Lovell of Cold Spring for their acts of kindness. Lovell, who died in the Metro-North train derailment last month, is being recognized posthumously as part of the Hospital 125th Anniversary’s theme – 125 Acts of Kindness. Also being honored are Ellen Buccellato of Peekskill, an advocate for the homeless and hungry, chaplain and member of the Hospital’s Ethics Committee, and a team of employees who head the Hospital’s annual Santa’s Helpers holiday gift drive.

The event will be held at 11 a.m. in the hospital lobby. Kacey Morabito Grean will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies and there will be a performance by violinist Daisy Jopling.

“Our hospital recently won the “Guardian of Excellence” Award for patient satisfaction and that has a lot to do with the kindness and courtesy our staff shows patients and visitors every day,’’ said Federspiel.  “It seemed fitting that we recognize our 125th anniversary by rewarding kindness and encouraging others to perform acts of kindness.”

Federspiel said he hoped that those honored at the event would serve as role models for the community and encourage others to perform acts of kindness. At the event, the community will be asked to pledge to perform at least one act of kindness in 2014. As part of the on-going “Act of Kindness” campaign pledges will be featured on Facebook and the hospital website.

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