Sandy Victim & ER Nurse Wins Big at Kimball Medical Center Foundation's Food & Wine Festival

When Kimball Medical Center Foundation recently hosted its “Flavors of the Jersey Shore” Food and Wine Festival at Pine Belt Chevrolet of Lakewood – the last of the hospital’s year-long centennial celebrations, Dawn Meehan, a nurse in Kimball’s Emergency Department, was busy continuing her struggle to reclaim her Superstorm Sandy-ravaged home behind a marina in Toms River.

Because of the destruction to her home caused by Superstorm Sandy, Dawn and her family were forced to move from place to place over the past year, staying at a family member’s home, a Howard Johnson, and, most recently, a rental unit in Jackson.

“The insurance money wasn’t coming through in time to help us. Luckily, Kimball offered financial support to its employees almost immediately. I used that money to supplement the cost of shelter for me and my family. In fact, Kimball continued to support us in every way possible every time I turned around,” said Dawn.

When Dawn heard about raffle tickets being sold for Kimball’s Food and Wine Festival to benefit the Foundation, she wanted to support the cause the same way Kimball had supported her. The $100 ticket bought Dawn one chance to win a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro from Pine Belt Chevrolet of Lakewood. It turned out she picked a winner.

“I never even thought about winning a car. I considered buying the ticket as my way of making a donation – a chance to show my appreciation and pay-it-forward in my own way,” said Dawn. “I’m so excited that after everything my family and I have endured, we can sit back and enjoy this beautiful new car.”

“We couldn’t be happier that Dawn won the car,” said Denice Gaffney, RN, Vice President of the Kimball Medical Center Foundation. “Like so many others in our community, she’s really struggled to put the pieces back together after Sandy. It’s bittersweet that more than 250 guests came together at this event almost a year after Sandy and one of the storm’s survivors was able to walk away with such a generous prize. We’ve been through so much, but together, we’ve been able to weather the storm."

About Kimball Medical Center:
Kimball Medical Center, a Barnabas Health facility, is a fully accredited acute care hospital dedicated to providing high quality medical and healthcare services to the residents of Ocean County and southern Monmouth County. In addition to offering a full range of innovative diagnostic and treatment services, Kimball Medical Center offers an array of wellness programs. Its ever-growing series of health education programs, lectures, screenings and support groups aim to promote wellness among all age groups. For more information about Kimball Medical Center, visit www.barnabashealth.org.