Hospital foundation dinner, auction nets near $23,000

Whitman Community Hospital Foundation hosted a successful gala dinner and auction on Saturday, Jan. 24, at Hill-Ray Plaza. Auctioneer Butch Booker had a little assistance from son Cotton, a seventh grader, with more than 20 live auction items.

Nearly $23,000 was cleared for the foundation endowment fund. Foundation treasurer Terry Eng explained the Foundation’s goal of $10 million was looking increasingly possible since the endowment now contains more than $4 million.

The ever popular purse game brought five young men to the front to model an array of “interesting looking” purses, each filled with an unknown amount of cash.

Purse buyer Kathryn Vogler appeared to have taken a significant loss when she pulled out a one dollar bill, but another pocket held some larger bills.

Silent auction items ranged from children’s toys to wine racks and a special occasion makeup and hairdo. Several movie-themed packages were donated by Whitman Hospital and Medical Center employees. A Dawn Bennett massage, peaches from Bryan Jones, and Rob Smith’s watercolor painting stirred very competitive bidding.

When the goal is reached, the fund should provide a stream of revenue of about one-half million dollars to meet the hospital’s needs. The foundation presently donates to major projects when need is great, including assisting with the therapy pool construction and moving the rehabilitation department into the ground floor of the hospital.