Aromatique Sale Directly Benefits UAMS Patients and Families

By Nate Hinkel

 Volunteer Ora D. Drone helps a customer with a purchase at the Aromatique sale.

Longtime UAMS employee and volunteer Nancy Batie organizes a table of Aromatique products.

The Aromatique sale benefits the UAMS Medical Center Auxiliary, which uses the funds for equipment and supplies to help UAMS patients and families.

Nov. 18, 2010 | Long lines reminiscent of Black Friday sales wrapped outside the main lobby at the UAMS Medical Center Nov. 18 and 19 as shoppers browsed dozens of tables of discounted Aromatique merchandise.

The sale benefitted the Medical Center Auxiliary, which uses it to directly support patients and families at UAMS.

“We’re incredibly thankful to Aromatique, which donates all of these wonderful products,” said Gloria Wright, director of volunteer services for the UAMS Medical Center and Auxiliary. “Their generosity enables us to use all of the proceeds to make a direct impact on the quality of care and services we’re able to provide at UAMS.”

Wright said the proceeds have helped fund a wide range of things in the past such as laser equipment for the Jones Eye Institute, speech-generating devices for University Rehab Services, flu shots for families of babies in the NICU and personal care items for hospital and emergency room patients, among many others.

The Heber Springs-based Aromatique, owned by Patti and Dick Upton, has made the merchandise donations for nearly 15 years, enabling the auxiliary to raise almost $1 million to support patient programs.

“The Uptons have always admired the incredibly positive impact UAMS makes across the entire state and they see these sales as a wonderful way to try to make an impact of their own,” said Peggy Harris, director of publicity for Aromatique. “It’s truly a wonderful thing to see all of these people getting good deals and at the same time helping UAMS fulfill its mission.”

What started in 1994 as a sale with a limited amount of items that sold out in just 20 minutes has morphed into an 18-wheeler load’s worth of thousands of Aromatique products available at highly discounted prices. The prices of products, which were not all Holiday-themed items, ranged from $3 to $16.

More than 70 volunteers helped make the Aromatique fundraiser one of the most successful fundraising events for UAMS.