Friends of Strong—At the Heart of Protecting Our People

With UR Medicine and Strong Memorial Hospital facing the remarkable public health challenge of vaccinating more than 20,000 of the system’s health care workers against COVID-19, we at Friends of Strong found ourselves among those honored and eager to help rapidly protect our front line staff, and our community.

Small Group of Friends Share Thanks and Appreciation for COVID Nurses at Strong

For some of the hardworking nurses at Strong Memorial Hospital, the holidays are a little brighter thanks to a warm-hearted group of long-time friends informally dubbed “Lovely Rockers,” who hand wrote and adorned nearly 50 thank you notes full of encouragement and appreciation for nurses caring for COVID patients, and enclosed them with gift cards to local businesses totaling $995 in value.

Annual Fundraiser Features An Ever-Growing Pack of Pet Therapy Dogs

Our ever-popular Pet Therapy Dog wall calendar—2021 edition—is now available at the Friends of Strong Gift Shop. Featuring our ever-growing pack of 20 "celebrity" pups who provide uplifting comfort and engagement to patients of all ages, this cute calendar benefits patient- and family-centered care initiatives throughout Strong Memorial Hospital.

Teaming Up to Provide Warmth and Comfort for Patients in Need

In anticipation of the cold Rochester winter that lies ahead, Friends of Strong is again teaming up with the Emergency Department to host a winter coat drive to provide a warm coat to patients in need who are awaiting discharge from the hospital. This year, Advantage Federal Credit Union is also joining in to help make the annual initiative a success by “hosting” donation bins at their URMC and Penfield branch locations.

Brighten the Holidays for Families Enrolled in Strong's Baby Love Program

One holiday tradition will be a little different this year at Strong Memorial Hospital. Departments and teams throughout Strong generously step up each year to make a difference for young families who are enrolled in the Baby Love and Building Healthy Children programs. This year the need is greater than ever, so we're inviting individuals to contribute to this truly meaningful cause.