This month Pleasure Guild, a volunteer organization of Nationwide Childrens Hospital and one of the oldest womens organizations in Columbus, celebrates its 100-year anniversary. Over the last century, Pleasure Guild has changed in size and function though has remained true to its primary mission of bringing pleasure to the young patients of Nationwide Childrens through direct volunteer work and fundraising.
Pleasure Guilds origins date back to 1890 when a group of women who had been sewing quilts for Childrens Hospital in Cincinnati, decided that the children of Columbus deserved a similar hospital. The group raised $125 as a nucleus to fund the framework of a nine-bed hospital to serve the children of Columbus.
From this womens group, Mrs. Erskine D. Fullerton established a Pleasure Fund to provide entertainment for patients. Under her direction, nearly 30 boys and girls met each Saturday and made crafts which were sold to raise money for the purchase of pleasures for children in the hospital. After Mrs. Fullertons death and in her memory, a number of young women combined efforts with the boys and girls, and in 1908 Pleasure Guild of Childrens Hospital was formalized.
Early fundraisers benefiting the hospital included charity balls, variety shows, horse shows, luncheon style shows and, since 1958, the annual childrens play.
Todays events include SPAGIOs A Celebration of Wine, Food and Dining with the Stars and an annual professional theatre production 2010s production will be The Music Man March 12-14 at the Palace Theatre. Since its inception, Pleasure Guild has raised more than $3.5 million in contributions that have recently supported the Hospice and Palliative Care Program at Nationwide Childrens Hospital.
Pleasure Guild members make a three and a half year commitment, and volunteer a total of 2,000 hours/year by participating in a variety of fundraising and service projects. For more information, or to become a member of Pleasure Guild, visit their membership page at www.pleasureguild.org, or contact Jackie Comisar, Pleasure Guild vice president, at (614) 607-6572.
Pleasure Guild of Nationwide Childrens Hospital Celebrates 100 Years
May 19, 2009
About Nationwide Children's Hospital
Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023-24 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs, as well as prioritizing quality and safety, are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 14,000 that provides state-of-the-art wellness, preventive and rehabilitative care and diagnostic treatment during more than 1.7 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.