Police Officers Donate to Neonatal Intensive Care

The Redlands Police Officers Association (RPOA) recently awarded $5,000 to the Redlands Community Hospital Foundation, which will be used to purchase several breast milk warmers for the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Representatives from the RPOA presented the check to NICU director, Carolyn Arnold, NICU nurse Marcia Elliot and Redlands Community Hospital Foundation Director Zack Tucker on Wednesday, March 12. For the past two years, the Redlands Police Officers Association has partnered with the Mu' Restaurant Golf Tournament Committee to raise almost $30,000 in donations, which the RPOA charitable foundation donated to local organizations and charities that support and provide services to youth in the community. In addition to the RCH Foundation, recipients have included AYSO, Redlands Baseball for Youth, March of Dimes, San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Club, athletics programs at each of the high schools in the Redlands Unified School District, Micah House, and the Children’s Cancer Foundation of Southern California. This is the second such donation to the Redlands Community Hospital NICU -- a special nursery for babies who are born prematurely or have other medical problems, such as breathing difficulties, infections or conditions requiring special needs. Special equipment is used to observe and monitor babies closely as well as provide the correct balance of warmth, nourishment and oxygen if needed. The staff includes neonatologists, pediatricians, registered nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, and occupational therapists. In 2013, RPOA and the Mu’ Golf Tournament Committee donated $3,000 to the unit. The Mu Golf Tournament Committee includes: Allison Benash; Bobby Yzquierdo; Mark Hardy; Michael Waikoon; Mike Daniel; Rick Young; Ricky Smith; Rose Marie Gonzales; Daranee Moongpruan.