Subsequently, we directed our attention to our iconic “Doctor’s Wives Book Fair.” Significant concentration on pro forma revealed serious concerns over the continuing viability and profitability in the sale of used books, particularly in light of the pandemic necessitating the cancellation of sales, while facility maintenance costs escalated.
We determined that a more resounding impact could be made through the sale of the Alliance-owned Book Fair Building and the distribution of its contents. Within the planned process, we first accomplished selling a portion of our 40,000+ inventory to professional book dealers. Then, we were able to share the remaining thousands of treasured books with multiple nonprofits, establish and augment twelve libraries, stock ten resource centers, provide various clinics with incentivizing literature, and offer books to five nonprofit resale outlets. In addition, church missionary programs, prison ministries, local treatment centers, and Hospice of East Texas received carefully curated donations.
The sale of the building and closing the business realized $290,000 for scholarship funding and $95,000 for continuing health initiatives. How significant in a year of “sheltered running in place!”
The 2021 endowed scholarship donations of $145,000 each to Tyler Junior College and The University of Texas at Tyler surpassed our expectations; entrusting each institution a continuing opportunity for student advancement. We celebrate this legacy of devotion to Professional Allied Health education, culminating in a cumulative scholarship corpus of $1.2 million.
We will use books to reward patients accomplishing clinic visits. The Smith County Medical Society Alliance remains intent on extending the practice of medicine and its effect beyond the physical parameters of the clinical appointment.
In celebration of Doctors’ Day 2021 we commemorated our fifty-two year legacy of awarding Allied Health Scholarships honoring our Smith County Medical Society Physicians for their continuing service. We, as a body of volunteers, will continue to be engaged community partners: blending energies and ideas, addressing health-related issues and concerns, and evolving with the needs of our community.