DKH wins
$4k grant for
breast cancer
support
PUTNAM — Day Kimball Healthcare (DKH) was recently awarded a $4,000 grant from Pink Aid, a charitable organization that helps to fund breast cancer support services for women in need, through Feb. 28, 2021.
The grant will help underserved women gain access to support services through DKH’s Homemakers division including access to long- and short-term home care and personal care, as well as transportation for patients’ needs. Pink Aid’s grants to Day Kimball Healthcare have totaled $19,000 since 2014, which has helped approximately 26 women obtain breast cancer support services.
“We are so fortunate to be able to offer financial support to women in our community,” said Kyle Kramer, Day Kimball Healthcare CEO. “Breast cancer support services are important for every woman battling cancer, regardless of cost or their insurance situation. Pink Aid’s funding allows us to expand our reach to women who might otherwise go without these vital services.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Pink Aid for their continued support of our programs,” said Michelle Donahue, BSN, RN, OCN, hematology-oncology manager, Day Kimball Healthcare. “Connecticut has one of the highest rates of breast cancer and Pink Aid’s support is critical in allowing us to provide access to health care services for local women facing the challenges of this disease.”
Pink Aid’s mission is to help underserved local women survive breast cancer treatment with support and dignity, to provide screening to women in financial need, and to empower breast cancer survivors to heal by helping and inspiring others. Pink Aid grants are awarded to recipient whose goals best advance Pink Aid’s mission.
“Our overall goal is to be sure women in Northeast Connecticut have the best possible access to the care they need, without having to leave their communities,” said Andrew MacKenzie, MD, FACOG, chairman of the department of obstetrics and gynecology, Day Kimball Healthcare. “The Pink Aid grant is a strong component in our ability to expand access to high-quality women’s health services for patients and families who are looking for a comprehensive, personalized experience, close to home.”
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Classic New England
This old Coca Cola cooler stands in Woodstock, right at home against an old red door. Linda Lemmon photo.
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Eleko came
ready to work
Alphonsia Eleko got right to it. In her phone calls and Zoom meetings with Putnam Science Academy girls’ basketball coach Devin Hill, she wanted to know if she could work one-on-one with the coaches to develop the parts of her game that she wanted to develop.
“Most kids ask about who else is on the team or this or that — and those are all legitimate questions — but Alphonsia, she wanted to get to work,” Hill said recently, while also adding he answered in the affirmative. “We love that. She wants to get better. Her questions were about development and growth as a player but as a person too.”
Eleko, a versatile 6-footer, announced this summer that she would be leaving St. Laurent in Montreal to begin her junior year with the Mustangs in the fall. A physical post player who can also shoot it from outside, Eleko’s adds to the stockpile of talent the Mustangs are amassing in hopes of claiming their first national championship.
“I play inside. I think that I’m strong one-on-one inside,” she said. “Outside, I can shoot the ball and I can drive a little bit too. This year with St. Laurent, I would start inside and then float outside if I wanted to.
“Talking about basketball, I really hope we win a championship as a team. And I hope I’m going to be a better player and go to the next level. I really work hard so I hope that going to Putnam is going to open doors for me and I will become the player I want to be.”
Said Hill: “In 2020, the way the game is played, she’s the perfect wing/forward. She’s a legit 6-foot. She’s really strong and she can really shoot the ball, which is nice. And she’s someone you can’t hide a bad defender or a small defender on because she’s really physical and can really score in the post. You need to match her physicality or else it’s going to be a long game for whoever’s guarding her.”
One of Eleko’s PSA teammates will be a familiar face in the person of Louella Allana. The two have played together for five years, including the last two at St. Laurent, and Allana has seen drastic improvements over the years.
“The thing I like about Alphonsia is that she is always a hard worker,” Allana said. “She wants to prove people wrong. You can see the changes in who she is right now from who she was before.
“I think the best thing about Alphonsia is that she is always willing to learn, she’s always willing to unlock another level for her to succeed. When she knows Level 1, she knows she can’t stop at Level 1. She always tries to be at Level 2, and then Level 3, Level 4. That’s what I love about Alphonsia.”
Eleko, who picked up an offer this summer from Mountain West member San Jose State, felt comfortable that Hill and PSA’s coaching staff were the right people to keep unlocking her levels. But she said she knows it’s not just about basketball for them either, which was just as important to her.
“Other coaches at other schools, I was feeling they cared about me because I can bring something on the court. But do they care about me, do they care about my grades?” she said. “Devin, he believes in me in school and on the court.
“My hope here, if I say in general, I just hope that when I go to university, that I am going to be a better person and that Putnam is going to help me mature and learn things about people and the world. I feel like they will help me be a better basketball player but also be that better person too.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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The Putnam Saturday Farmers' Market is full of color. And depending on the season, those colors change. At a recent market there were yellow and green corn, tan and white onions and dark red beets.
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