Employees of the St. Luke's University Health Network, Miners Campus, Coaldale, raised $1,000 for the Bo Tkach Under the Helmet and Hat Foundation during the annual "Nurses' Week 2013" held in May.

The foundation, named after former Northern Lehigh High School student-athlete Travis "Bo" Tkach, was established in 2008 to "create an awareness for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and other mental health issues while providing essential funding for youth athletic programs, scholarships and otherwise inaccessible individual mental health screening and treatment."Tkach, a son of James and Sandra Tkach, former Lehighton residents, took his own life in 2007 after a lifelong battle with the disorder. Since its establishment, the foundation has funded tens of thousands of dollars worth of care for teenagers and young adults who otherwise would not have had the resources to receive the care their require.Kathy Matika, R.N., nurse manager-infection control at St. Luke's who was instrumental in the selection of the foundation to be the benefit from the Nurses' Week program, said, "Each year, as a way of giving back to our community, the Nurse Excellence Committee of St Luke's Miners Campus selects a charity to receive the proceeds from our Nurses' Week events, and this year, we selected the Bo Tkach Foundation from a group of very worthy charities."She said a lot of the funds were raised by each nursing unit preparing a theme basket that was displayed in the hospital and available through a raffle. Additional funds were generated through participation in Zumba classes instructed by Kandy Kreamer, R.N., CCU.Matika added, "We want to thank the nursing staff of the hospital for the many donations of baskets, and the generosity our hospital staff and community who purchased the tickets in support of the foundation. Everyone who participated helped make our fundraising effort very successful."According to Nanette Haldeman-Green, RN, BSN, director of the St Luke's Miners Home Care, "Every year, St. Luke's University and Health Network-Miners Campus selects a local charity to sponsor during Nurses Week. This year, the Bo Tkach Foundation was selected out of many worthy charities in the community. The Nursing Excellence committee at St Luke's chose this memorial as it met the criteria for being a local foundation which provides services for the underserved in the community."Haldeman-Green added, "A portion of St. Luke's mission is to care for the sick and injured, as well as to improve access to care in the communities we serve. St. Luke's and the Bo Tkach Foundation have a similar cause and that is to provide access to care for our community members in need.""Sometimes, I just wonder how we are so fortunate to have all of this going on," said Jim Tkach, president of the Bo Tkach Foundation, of the efforts of supporters of the foundation in general and the St. Luke's employees specifically. "We are truly appreciative of the efforts of so many people. This donation will help us continue to make services available to the young people who need this kind of help," he said.Matika and Deb Holmberg, nursing home administrator, presented the check to foundation treasurer William O'Gurek, who noted, "We want to thank Kathy (Matika) for her role in helping to have our foundation designated to be the recipient of these funds. She has been a dedicated supporter of community endeavors for a long time and we appreciate her efforts as well as those of her co-workers in making this year's Nurses' Week initiative a very successful one."