WHF auction a night to remember

COLFAX - The Whitman Hospital Foundation is hosted its 34th annual dinner and auction on Saturday, Jan. 20, with a social hour, dinner, and silent and live auctions.

Coordinator Desiree Chappell said that they were able to fill approximately 170 seats and that the Foundation has counted roughly $138,000 raised so far. "That is not our final number," Chappell said.

Chappell said that they are extremely thankful to the businesses in town that donated. "Everything was donated," she said.

A Heads or Tails game was played, in which Auctioneer Butch Booker asked everyone to stand up and pick heads or tails. Butch Butcher flipped a coin, and if participants picked incorrectly, they had to take a bead necklace off and sit down. Those left without a bead had to sit down, and the last one standing won the pot.

Chappell mentioned they also played the 52 Card Raffle, which she said both games were fun for everyone.

"We want to thank Butch Booker for donating his time to come down and do that," Chappell said.

"The fullest I've ever seen it in 34 years," Butch Booker said of the auction turnout.

Chappell said they invited four guests of honor this year for the live auction, including Bryan Johnson, M.D., 33 years, and Mark Parsons, M.D., 28 years. Shelly Quinton, A.E.N.P., 26 years, and H. Graeme French, M.D., 35 years, couldn't come. "Those are the four guests we wanted to recognize. We honored them on Saturday and presented them with gifts from the hospital foundation."

One of the biggest auction items donated was a trip to Mexico, "there's just so many," Chappell said, adding that local businesses and artists donated the 66 items.

Foundation Secretary Anne McCrae said that all the titles of the live auctions were movie titles from over the years. "Things that correlated with that item," McCrae said.

"We had stars down on the red carpets and donors on them, so that was fun," Chappell said, adding that they would like to thank everyone who volunteered and took hours to set up and put down the event and the Hill Ray for hosting them.

"They were outstanding," McCrae said of the Hill Ray residents, noting that they allowed them to come to their home and hold the event.

The Hospital Foundation Board comprises President Terry D Eng, Secretary Anne McCrae, Treasurer Erica Pugh; and board members Teri Heilsberg, Jerry Pugh and Eva Dhillo.

The Auction committee comprised Anne McCrae, Desiree Chappell, Marletta Sisak, Gretchen Heise, Linda Marler and Kathryn Vogler.