Pink Ladies & White Knights
Donna McConnell and the Tri-City Hospital Auxiliary

If you’ve ever walked into Tri City Medical Center, you’ve probably met a Pink Lady. The Pink Lady Volunteers are a group of dedicated women and men (the men are called White Knights) who help pretty much everywhere in the hospital. Donna McConnell, the Tri City Auxiliary President, runs the organization with the type of cheerful manner that seems to represent the Pink Lady organization itself. This is a group of people who have been dedicated to helping those in their community since 1958, and, with over 700 volunteers, they are truly achieving this goal.

Donna McConnell started as a Pink Lady volunteer 9 years ago. After retiring from the Vista Unified School District, she wanted to give back to her community. Her husband had previously been a patient at Tri City Medical Center and the “great care” he received made an impact on Mrs. McConnell. Now in a position to dedicate her time to helping others, she felt drawn to volunteer at Tri City Medical Center and so has spent the better part of the last decade devoting her time and energies to the Tri City Auxiliary.

As President of the Tri City Auxiliary, Donna McConnell oversees 20 different volunteer departments in the hospital. The Auxiliary’s goal is to “do whatever helps the nurses,” and to do whatever they can to help the patients, medical staff and administrative staff in the hospital. Whether the Pink Ladies are making beds, holding babies in the maternity ward, providing water and juice to patients, or distributing flowers and cards to patients at the reception desk, these volunteers are busily aiding and assisting anyone and everyone at Tri City Medical Center.

Left to right: Irene Higgins, Treasurer, Carolyn Ramber, Awards Chariman, and Donna McConnell, President
Photo by Louise Donahue, Staff Photographer, North County Times

Mrs. McConnell says she is lucky enough to be surrounded by “a lot of caring volunteers who are giving of their time.” One of these volunteers is Betty Mehnert, who, at 91 years old, has spent over 37,000 hours volunteering the last 32 years at Tri-City Medical Center. According to Mrs. McConnell, she’s never walked by the gift shop without seeing Betty Mehnert’s smiling face there. When asked how long Betty Mehnert has been volunteering, Mrs. McConnell said that she isn’t sure, but everyone says she was “born at Tri City and never left.”

The volunteers at Tri City Medical Center are varied. Many Pink Ladies and White Knights are members of the community who decided to volunteer at the hospital after they or a loved one received care there. Mrs. McConnell says that the helpful and warm nature of the nurses and staff are the reason so many people decide to volunteer. The Tri City Auxiliary also has over 100 Junior Volunteers, who are high school students from the Tri City area, as well as many students from Palomar Community College and Mira Costa College.

In addition to having a network of volunteers throughout the hospital, the Tri-City Auxiliary gives over $120,000 each year to the medical center, which mostly goes to buy equipment. They are also a proud sponsor of Baile de Esperanza, an annual fundraiser at Tri City Medical Center, donating $10,000 this year.

Donna McConnell would like to encourage others to become involved with the Tri City Auxiliary because it’s a truly “rewarding experience.” So, if you have a few hours to spare, let them know.