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Nigel O. Hodge Foundation’s Luncheon Celebrates 14 Years of Service

The Nigel O. Hodge Foundation celebrates 14 years of service to the children of the Virgin Islands and the Caribbean with a Nutritional Bliss Luncheon at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 14, at Holy Family Columban Hall in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. Kari Burton, MSRD, assistant director of Patient Services at Schneider Regional Medical Center will deliver the keynote speech, “Improving Your Nutrition.”
Tickets are $55 and can be purchased from any foundation member or by phone at 777-9530, or at the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands at 774-6031. To support the foundation, attendees can also vie for an opportunity to purchase the special fruit basket centerpieces with produce donated by local grocers.
The Nigel O. Hodge Foundation In 2009-10 the foundation has already assisted five families with funds for medical treatment and travel to the mainland for treatment.
“Nigel was my son,” Josephine Hodge, the founder said. “I established this organization to help other parents with the pain and financial burden when their child is very sick.”
Nigel Hodge was just 11-years-old when he came home from Lockhart Elementary one day in 1994 with a lump under his arm. Nigel died just five weeks later after receiving repeated doses of the wrong type of chemotherapy. With funds from a wrongful death suit Nigel’s family founded the organization. Nigel’s legacy provides financial assistance for children’s medical treatment and for travel to reach treatment when it is not available at home. With help from American Airlines’ “Miles for Kids,” program and donations of frequent flyer miles from the community, the foundation has helped families with the staggering costs of off-island travel for treatment.
The fund has also paid for things like wheel chairs, ear implants and eyeglasses. It has also provided for: a total hip replacement for a 14-year-old, off-island travel for a mother and two children for the one child to give bone marrow to the other, and travel for a child to go to Puerto Rico and for muscle disease operation.
For more information about the Nutritional Bliss luncheon or the Nigel O. Hodge Foundation, contact Josephine Hodge at 777-9530.

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