CAMDEN, N.J. – Leaders and associates at Lourdes Health System are taking an active role this fall in support of two important causes.

Eugene Johnson, CEO of Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County, is one of the South Jersey corporate chairs for this year's Light the Night Walk, the annual fundraiser for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to be held October 10 at Campbell's Field, home of the Camden Riversharks. A week later at the same location, on October 17, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center CEO Mark T. Bateman will lead associates and participants in support of the American Heart Association walk.

Lourdes is taking an active role in support of these activities, with internal fundraising through the purchase of paper balloons through hospital gift shops and cafeterias, hospital-sponsored "gold parties" where a portion of funds go to the cause and a mini-walk fundraiser to be held by the children of the Lourdes onsite day care center, "Angel's Alley."

Lourdes associates are also directly participating in the walks by recruiting sponsors and other team walkers among family and friends. Individuals who are unable to walk are encouraged to support the teams through contributions as well as an innovative form of expression--the posting of loved ones' images on the Lourdes internal flat-screen monitors located on each campus, as well as the hospital intranet homepage. The image will appear under the phrase "Lourdes Walks For." Associates, physicians and volunteers are invited to display a photo, name, diagnosis and year of passing (if needed) for a fee of $10 that will directly support Lourdes' sponsorship of these walks.

For directions on how to make a donation and submit a photo electronically or via mail, contact Suzy Wilson in Lourdes public relations at wilsons@lourdesnet.org. To join a team or contribute directly to TEAM LOURDES:

· For the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night™ Walk at Campbell's Field in Camden visit www.LighttheNight.org and locate Team Lourdes.

· For the American Heart Association 2009 Southern NJ Fall Start! Heart Walk, visit: http://heartwalk.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=300873.

Lourdes Health System includes Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center and Lourdes Medical Center of Burlington County. Lourdes Health System is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, N.Y. and is a member of Catholic Health East, a health system with 34 hospitals on the East Coast.