The News And Views

Naval Hospital Goes Over Top In Polio Drive

The U.S. Naval Hospital personnel, as was expected, has already topped its 1949 contribution to the March of Dimes campaign ringing up a total of $569.50 for polio victims, as well as those who can be stricken with this dreadful disease. The total given by the hospital last year was $340.67.

Indications are that the grand total contributed from all over the Camp Lejeune Marine base will, when the count has been completed, add up to several thousand dollars more than the 1949 total of $14,263.89. Our guess is that it will reach $20,000 this year. We sincerely hope that our guess is wrong and that the total will be even greater than our figure.

A break-down of the Naval Hospital total follows: Hospital staff nurses and doctors, enlisted personnel and patients-$382.40; Civilian employees-$87.10. Mr. Gurney Bryant, carpenter at the hospital maintenance shop whose small daughter, Barbara Jean, was stricken with infantile paralysis last year and received expert treatment from the March of Dimes contributions and is now completely recovered gave a contribution of $100.00 to the fund. Mr. Bryant, a resident of Butler Drive, Midway Park doesn't have to be told what a God-send the polio fund is to victims of the disease. Nor did he have to be told through the newspapers to "dig deep" this year. He will never forget the worthy cause of this campaign for monies neither will Mrs. Bryant or little Barbara Jean.

Although the March of Dimes drive has officially come to a close at the Naval Hospital we have an idea that other contributions may be given later. In the state as a whole however the campaign has been extended until the end of the current month due to disappointment in the amount contributed throughout the state at the end of January.

If you did not get counted in the first go round, you can still give.