James, VP of Patient Care Services, and the Schmitzs - Tara, Alyx, Nicole, David, Brianna

           Bill and Tara Schmitz and their families have funded an entertainment center for children and youth that are patients at the new Oakes Community Hospital. Cole’s Center, in memory of their son Cole, who died at 4 1/2 months old in August 2000 from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is on a portable cart that can be moved to a patient room when appropriate. On the cart are a television, a DVD player, an Xbox 360, and a V-Smile Learning Center. There are several software items for the Xbox and V-Smile for young people ages 3 to 18. There are several Classic Disney movies for viewing.  Everything on the cart will certainly make the time as a patient go by faster! For the preschool and toddler patients, there is a wagon that can be used for rides down the hospital hallways. And there will be books for all ages.

            Bill, son of Melvin and Mary Schmitz, and Tara, daughter of Harry and Donna Cline, grew up in Oakes and graduated from Oakes High School. They went off to college and lived in Fargo.  In 2005, Bill and Tara and their children returned to make their home in Oakes. Bill is at Western Insurance Agency and assists many local families with their insurance needs. Tara is the pharmacist at Oakes Community Hospital and also teaches at North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy.   Family and community are very important to both Bill and Tara. Their children Alyx, 9 years, Nicole, 6 years, David, 4 years, and Brianna, 14 months, came to check out Cole’s Center and gave their approval!!