Fashion, they say, never goes out of style. For Patricia Shoemaker-Glessner, neither fashion nor philanthropy does.
Cloaked by a privileged upbringing, Patricia Shoemaker-Glessner had certain advantages early in life, but she never lost sight of – or sensitivity to — the broader world around her. She instead put those many advantages to work, resulting in a “life resume” robust with exceptional professional and personal successes – and a commitment to giving back. A life truly blessed. If asked, she’ll say, “Blessed? Yes. But still, my life’s been like everyone else’s—filled with everything from abundant happiness to significant loss and deep sadness. But it’s far more the latter—and far less the successes—that continue to inspire me today. To genuinely touch, in some way, someone else’s life to make it better. It’s a peaceful, fulfilling feeling—but something, for me, that’s never complete.”
An intricate life tapestry, for certain. Her style—undoubtedly.
Within the hospital family of Dixie Regional Medical Center, the community it serves—and along with the support of her husband Joe Glessner—Patricia has served as a “philanthropic engine.” She’s provided multiple years of leadership service to a variety of community endeavors—special among them, to the hospital’s Governing and Foundation boards, as well as to numerous programs under their auspices. In great part due to her generous contributions of time, talent and treasure over the years, Dixie Regional has achieved cutting-edge medical services and attracted premier medical talent far exceeding that typically found in communities of comparable size. “Especially close to my heart, though,” she says, “have been those efforts that more intimately impact others—those that close the gap between vital services and those in need of them. That’s why, among so many opportunities to make a difference, the Jubilee of Trees sits at the top of my list.”
With over 22 years of support to and sponsorship of the Jubilee’s Fashion Show and Luncheon—Shoemaker-Glessner certainly can speak as the voice of experience. “You know, the Jubilee is truly a gift to the community. And its Fashion Show and Luncheon reflect that same spirit. Since its inception, I’ve watched it evolve—starting it as a grass-roots effort by handful of volunteers and donors…through numerous iterations of themes and causes …all the way to today—where so many inspired, talented and generous people make it happen for so many who attend year after year. We’ve come to the point where our volunteers and guests who attend truly feel like family. Like the other components of the Jubilee, the Fashion Show’s a tremendous vehicle for hands-on giving to a great cause that will impact so many lives.”
And a great cause it is. The 2017 Jubilee of Trees supports an exponential expansion of hospital infrastructure, relocation/consolidation of services to enhance and streamline patient care, as well as expansion of facilities to house Dixie Regional’s cutting-edge precision genomics for cancer care.
Given her lifetime of giving, Shoemaker-Glessner reflects on this year’s cause within the context of so many others that have crossed her life’s path. “It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been a part of. To know we’re lending hand to exponentially broaden and deepen the availability of world-class healthcare in our community – healthcare that will touch and save so many individual lives – is incredible.”