Barton honoring hospital pioneer

The Barton Foundation is honoring Patty Olson with this year’s Spirit of Philanthropy award.

Patty Olson

Olson has been in South Lake Tahoe since 1950. She is a founding member of the Barton Auxiliary. She helped organize the auxiliary’s first fundraiser for the hospital and hosted many other Barton fundraising events at Young’s Bijou Lodge, which she and her husband, Neal, owned and operated.

The 89-year-old helped raise funds to build St. Theresa Catholic Church in the 1950s and was instrumental in the creation of St. Theresa School in 1962. She also served on the El Dorado County Recreation Commission for eight years and was a charter member of the Cancer League.

When her husband died in 1998, Olson helped raise funds for the Neal Olson Playroom that is available at the hospital for families to enjoy.