The halfway mark in meeting its $30,000 pledge to the Palmerton Hospital Building Fund has been met by the Palmerton Hospital Auxiliary.

“The women of the hospital auxiliary are the difference between the hospital going or stopping,” Carbon County Sheriff Charles D. Neast, a trustee, said last night when he addressed the second annual meeting of the auxiliary. He said he is amazed at the annual work done by the women and expressed appreciation in behalf of the trustees.

It was reported the auxiliary realized $2,040 from the rental of television sets to patients during the past 14 months and $6,173 in the past 18 months from its “nearly new” shop in Palmerton. Other projects raised the grand total by $10,500.