Samaritan Healthcare | The Samaritan | Spring 2018

Heartfelt donation brings music to Samaritan Th i s baby g r and p i ano ha s a b i g s t o r y Welcome Alayna Lodi, Development Coordinator! Alayna Lodi has joined Samaritan Healthcare as the Development Coordinator for the Samaritan Healthcare Foundation and Foundation Committees. After graduating from Washington State University, Alayna relocated to Ephrata, her hometown, where she began working at Columbia Basin Hospital (CBH) as the Public Relations and Foundation Coordinator. While at CBH, Alayna assisted in day-to-day communication efforts and board management. She also coordinated annual fundraising events for the Foundation, including the Dash of Color 5K and the CBH Foundation Golf Tournament. During her time at CBH, Alayna became an active Ephrata community member, leading community forums, sitting on several boards, and coordinating community events, such as Basin Summer Sounds. In her spare time, Alayna enjoys traveling with her boyfriend, Scott, and watching his son Grayson play basketball, as well as spending time with family and friends. Alayna and Scott particularly enjoy college football season, where their true “house divided” colors come out. Go Cougs! It began as a hopeful vision: music in the lobby of Samaritan Hospital. Studies have indicated the comforting and healing power of music, and many of the staff have envi- sioned how to bring music to Samaritan. Recently, Jesse Alvarado, a longtime employee in the environmental services department, took that vision to heart. He began scouring local listings to secure a piano. He identified a listing that seemed promising and contacted the owners, Angela and Scott Richardson. A PIANO FOR SALE Angela has a deeply rooted passion for piano music and an interest in the history and origins of antique pianos.The piano in the listing was purchased by Angela for her daughter, an ac- complished pianist, as a graduation gift. But to Angela’s dismay, after her daughter graduated, she didn’t have room to take the piano with her. In a moment of haste, Angela told Scott to list the piano for sale and left home for the day. Upon returning home, Angela expressed to Scott that she had reconsidered selling the piano—but someone had already contacted Scott and would be arriving to view it shortly. When Jesse arrived to look at the piano, he couldn’t help but share his personal journey with the Richardsons. Jesse shared that his wife, Charlotte, is battling muscular dystrophy and is greatly comforted by piano music, specifically the music Jesse creates. With their long history of medical care and employment here at Samaritan, Char- lotte made Jesse promise that one day he would gift music to Samaritan. THE GIFT OF MUSIC A self-taught pianist, Jesse has never taken a lesson—yet he can sit at the piano and beau- tiful melodies flow through his fingertips. That day, Angela asked Jesse to play some- thing for her, and as Jesse sat at the piano, he closed his eyes and let the music come from his heart. Angela was so moved she immedi- ately felt that Jesse and the piano belonged together. Angela will tell you that when she heard and felt Jesse play her piano, she had a truly emotional moment that brought tears to her eyes and chills to her skin. FULFILLING A PROMISE On Dec. 8, 2017, Scott and Angela Richardson presented the gift of the baby grand piano to the Samaritan Healthcare Foundation in honor of Jesse and Charlotte Alvarado. Employees and community members as- sembled in the Samaritan Hospital lobby to listen to Jesse play a song he composed for Charlotte. After Jesse took his bow, pianists Megan Hanover, Paul Wagner and Joshika Suresh continued to provide holiday music that filled the lobby and drifted through the halls of the hospital, reaching the ears of patients and infusing the building with warmth and cheer. 2 THE SAMARITAN Ready to make a difference? To make a donation, contact the Samaritan Foundation office at 793-9645 or via email at foundation@samaritanhealthcare.com .