Heroes and Ghosts in Savannah

PAs and PA Organizations Mount Outstanding Response to the Texas PA Foundation’s HERO Efforts

By Ayeshia Ellington Pompey

On Halloween, members of PAEA became heroes to more than 200 University of Texas Medical Branch–Galveston (UTMB) PA students, through the HurricanE Relief Outreach Program organized by the Texas PA Foundation, and supported by PAEA, the PA Foundation, AAPA, and NCCPA. Each of these five organizations pledged to match donations up to $1,000.

Wearing festive masks, 150 conference attendees boarded trolleys to hear the ghostly tales of the country's most haunted city while supporting hurricane relief efforts for UTMB students affected by Hurricane Ike. Thirty percent of each ticket sold went toward helping students with housing and school expenses.

Although only 150 people could be accommodated on the ghost tour before it sold out, conference attendees unable to join the tour gave generously. Faculty and staff from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey PA Program took up a collection and donated $400 to the relief effort! In all, $5,530 was raised for the Texas PA Foundation’s HERO efforts.

PAEA thanks all faculty and staff members for going beyond the call of duty to assist the students of UTMB and sends its special thanks to PAF, AAPA, and NCCPA, which joined PAEA in matching all donations up to $1,000.