May 22 , 2009

CONTACT:
Communications Department
(320) 251-2700, ext. 74980

Winners of the 2009 Spirit of Women Awards

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – As part of the CentraCare Health Foundation, the Spirit of Caring Award has long recognized groups of people and now the Spirit of Women® Award carries this further, recognizing individuals that make an impact on people’s lives.

Three local women recently were recognized by St. Cloud Hospital through the Spirit of Women® Awards program. Celebrating the spirit of women, these awards recognize the talent and dedication of those who act to make their communities healthier, safer and more inspirational places to live. Recipients include:

Kelsey Krueger - Young Person Role Model (Ages 14-20)
Sandi Schulzetenberg - Community Hero (At least 21 years of age)
Dani Jakubowski - Healthcare Hero (Clinical professional)

Kelsey Krueger, 15, has been active in fundraising for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society of Minnesota. Krueger, whose dad has the devastating disease, is passionate about finding a cure and helping families who are living with MS. She has been a dynamo in increasing awareness of MS: she spoke before a crowd of 600 at a MS state convention; she was one of 20 winning essays out of 75,000 entries to win a day with the official Oscar Meyer Weinermobile, where she used the day to raise money for MS through the sale of hotdogs; she also put on a book sale and coffee hour at church to raise additional funds. So far Krueger has raised more than $25,000. This is just a few of Kruger’s accomplishments.

Sandi Schulzetenberg has touched thousands of lives through her volunteer work in the St. Cloud Hospital Breast Center and through the Enhancement Program where she fits women and men going through cancer treatment with a wig and educates them on how to care for skin changes
resulting from chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Schulzetenberg also works with vendors and the community to obtain products, such as cosmetics and turbans, to enhance the lives of cancer patients.

Dani Jakubowski has been a psychologist with St. Cloud Hospital Behavioral Health Services since 1988. She is the community’s senior expert in psychological services for women and has been passionate about raising awareness of women’s mental health issues. Jakubowski has taken a leadership role in developing a specialized program for post-partum depression. She also was the founder of the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program for treating borderline personality disorder. Jakubowski has been a consistent presenter and promoter of women’s health issues.

St. Cloud Hospital is the only Spirit of Women® hospital in Minnesota. As part of the Spirit of Women network, St. Cloud Hospital finds the very best in women’s health programming from across the country and brings it to Central Minnesota. St. Cloud Hospital leads the way in specialty care for women. Our services and programs support health and social issues that affect you and your family. We take a holistic approach to care, engaging your mind, body and spirit. Join your local Spirit of Women® hospital in celebrating women throughout the United States who dedicate themselves to making their communities, both large and small, a better place for everyone.

Created in 1998, the Spirit in Women Awards program is held annually to honor unsung heroes in communities across the United States, recognizing ordinary women who do extraordinary things for other women in their community. Since the awards inception, more than 600 women nationally have been recognized and awarded for their efforts. Winners are selected based on the contributions they make to their communities through their work and their service activities.

Learn more about Spirit of Women

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