January 7, 2005

Trip of a lifetime comes true for MGH temporary employee

Susan "Sunny" Davidson, of the MGH Bulfinch Temporary Service, has been dreaming of a trip to Italy since she was 15 years old. And now her dream is coming true. Davidson recently was declared the winner of a silent auction fundraiser for the North End Community Health Center (NECHC), with the grand prize being two round-trip tickets and accommodations to the winner's choice of either Rome or Florence.

Davidson had cancelled planned trips to Florence in October 2003 and again in March 2004 because both of her parents were in poor health. Since that time, her mother and father have passed away, but Davidson's dream of visiting Italy has lived on. "I am just so thrilled to go to Florence," she says. "I feel like this trip was a gift from my mom and dad. This was my first holiday season with both of them gone, and I found out I'd won the bid eight days before Christmas."

Davidson's love for Italy has even translated into other parts of her life. She has been a resident of Boston's North End since 1995 and displays prints of Florentine artwork in her home, with hopes of seeing the original art during her trip.

From left, Davidson and Manning

The silent auction raised much-needed funds to construct a new digital x-ray department for NECHC. "The auction created lots of excitement. We had fun with all of the MGH employees who bid on the trip," says Noreen Manning, chief operations officer for NECHC. "Finding out about Sunny's passion for a vacation in Italy made everything extraordinary. We would like to thank everyone, especially Sunny, for participating."