MedicAlert celebrates 48 years in Turlock
By Kimberly Horg
Turlock Journal
March 27, 2004
Almost 50 years ago, MedicAlert helped put Turlock on the map.
In turn, the community helped ensure the organization’s success by providing passionate volunteers and staff, said Turlock Mayor Curt Andre during a speech commemorating MedicAlert’s 48th anniversary Friday.
“MedicAlert has been a source of pride in Turlock and put us on the map,” he said. “The town can be known for various things but one of the best is that it is the seat of a life-saving organization. There is only one city and one mayor that can say we’ve got MedicAlert. It has been an economic blessing that has employed thousands of residents for five decades and I am proud to wear the MedicAlert emblem.”
An anniversary celebration was held Friday at the MedicAlert headquarters. The founder’s grandson, Paul Maurer, gave a speech on behalf of his family commemorating the event. Mayor Curt Andre gave MedicAlert a plaque with the seal of the city and delivered the keynote speech to citizens throughout the community, volunteers, the 110 employees and their families, and state representatives. His speech was followed by an open-house tour of the facility and refreshments were served. The event was open to the public.
Representatives from the offices of Senator Diane Feinstein, Rep. George Radonovich, State Senator Jeff Denham and State Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian presented MedicAlert with certificates to thank the group for its work.
The anniversary celebration offered an opportunity to thank the employees and volunteers who helped make the organization what it is today.
“Today is a good day to look back and see how far we’ve came along,” said Ruth Gwinner, a MedicAlert employee of 32 years. “This is a really exciting time to be a part of MedicAlert.”
The late Dr. Marion Collins and Chrissie Collins founded the International organization in 1956 when their daughter Linda had a allergic reaction to a medication she received for a scratch. After this encounter, they decided that they would make her a bracelet stating her allergies. At a medical convention, they passed out hundreds of the home-made bracelets, and before long, thousands of requests poured in. This led to what it is today, an international organization that protects more than 4 million members by providing identification and medical information in emergencies to authorized medical professionals. They were awarded the American Medical Association’s highest honor, The Citation for Distinguished Service.
“My involvement is purely accidental. My grandfather considered various things to alert people of my mom’s allergy including tattooing her. It is a good thing that they didn’t take that route because we wouldn’t be here today,” Maurer said.
Many different circumstances went into the formation of this organization. The need for it by the society and the founder’s energy and devotion that got this off the ground, he said.
The organization now has 2.4 members in the U.S. and 1.5 in other countries. It provides confidential information from anywhere in the world to authorities in case of an emergency. It has saved many lives and its members aren’t required to have an illness to join. MedicAlert provides information that can safeguard and identify children during an emergency.
“Half of the kids enrolled in Turlock don’t have a medical condition,” said Ramesh Srinivasan , vice president of marketing for MedicAlert.
“We are in the process of resurrecting the outreach program to let more people in the community have an eye into how big this organization is, and this celebration’s purpose is to build up to the 50th Anniversary party that is only a couple years away,” said public relations officer Harbinder Mann said. “We do a lot with the community and something as big as this in Turlock is really exciting.”
MedicAlert has about 50 volunteers throughout the community helping out on various projects. Many disabled people from Continuum College volunteer.