By Ted Uecker, WRHS Fund Development Officer
What a whirlwind the last 3 ½ months have been at the West River Health Services Foundation! Since we last visited back in mid-October, 2015, we have raised over $121,000 bringing our 17 1/2 month total up to over $852,000!!! Of that total, almost $675,000 is earmarked for the new MRI Scanner and MRI Building Addition to the hospital.
We have had an amazing year and a half at the Foundation – and most all of that credit goes out to you, our awesome supporters throughout the Western Dakotas (and actually throughout the United States!). We have stayed true to our mission of providing fundraising and development services for West River Health Services and Western Horizons Living Centers as they provide comprehensive health and wellness services for the residents and visitors of the region. In addition, we have developed some strong principals at the Foundation: 1) we want to build “Partnerships for the Future” with area businesses, organizations and families – where it’s a two-way street, with both of us helping each other, 2) we want to reach out and participate with our area communities, and 3) we never tell people how much to give. We believe that every gift is important, no matter the amount; rather it’s the commitment shown to our future.
West River Health Services was built upon the premise that rural people deserve the same top-quality healthcare as their urban counterparts. We have not forgotten this and we strive every day to provide amazing healthcare services to our area communities. Our strengths of sensational top-quality teamwork care and state-of-the-art technology and equipment ring out loud and clear. We are a forward moving vehicle who does not accept the status quo – we’re always pushing the envelope to improve our rural healthcare offerings.
Back in mid-October, we had a Community Health Day, where the public was welcomed in to West River Health Services for short educational sessions with our amazing educational and medical providers, including Dr. Houle, Dr. Kludt, Barb West, Jodi Wilson, Erika Pagel, Dr. Joyce and Patty Ness. They covered various areas of healthcare and opened it up for any questions the public might have on the different topics.
We attended the KNDC Farm & Home Show at the Hettinger Armory, where once again we gave out gorgeous pumpkins, donated by Delbert Woodley from Haynes. For a $10 or more gift to the Foundation, you could pick any pumpkin you wanted. This gift put you into an hourly drawing for 7 HUGE pumpkins and a pound of candy corn. We also had drawings for the kids, including a Bonzai Scooter and a Table Top Pool Table! Overall, it was a terrific opportunity for us to meet with the public, shake hands, and talk about all the wonderful events happening at West River. By the way, we raised $1,550 – a terrific day to say the least.
In late October we had the opportunity to welcome members from Slope Electric and Basin Electric into our facility for a day of tours, interviews and goodwill. Both of these fine businesses have pledged $100,000 each toward our MRI Campaign. We toured our entire facility, including specific and detailed information directly from Dr. Kristy in Radiology; Dr. Houle and Dr. Willoughby in our Hettinger Clinic; Brandy Scwab in our Surgery Center; and Mary Krein in our Laboratory. All of the representatives were surprised at our state-of-the-art technology and they all remarked how friendly and tightly knit the organization seemed to be. Thank you Slope and Basin Electric for joining us as partners for the future. The following week we proudly attended the Basin Electric Annual Meeting and further solidified our relationship.
In November we joined the WRHS Auxiliary for their Annual Turkey Luncheon, which was a tasteful success. Since the Foundation was able to receive a $2,500 matching funds offer from the Modern Woodmen Group in Lemmon, SD, we helped the Auxiliary with acquiring four huge gifts for their raffle ticket prizes, marketing the raffle tickets (of which we sold all 1,700!), and rolling up our sleeves and helping serve the amazing spread of hot turkey sandwiches with all the trimmings! When the event was all said and done, we had cleared over $6,000; so the $2,500 in matching funds were acquired and placed toward the MRI Campaign. Thank you to Al and Delores Colgrove for spearheading this idea and to all of the terrific volunteers who made this all possible.
Speaking of Lemmon, SD, we attended the Best For Last event to support their endeavors to raise funds for their Endowment Fund at Five Counties Nursing Home. Those people really know how to raise funds with $100 tickets and numerous games throughout the evening – plus some of the best appetizers in the West! No, we didn’t make it to the Final 5 for the big $5,000 payout – but the Foundation was there in spirit!
We’ve been presenting the Foundation to our employees at our Quarterly Employee Meetings as well as our New Employee Orientation Meetings. If there is a way we can try to convince people to see how we have all taken this amazing local healthcare for granted – then we’re going to try and be there! Everyone needs top-quality care – and how nice to have it 2 blocks or 2 miles away – not 150 miles away in Bismarck!
In mid-December, we rolled out an amazing “Matching Challenge” campaign in the Mott Area Communities. About a year ago, an anonymous Mott area resident gave $10,000 to the Foundation and earmarked it to be spent toward improvements at the Mott Clinic. WRHS added $5,000 to the $10,000 gift and two of the patient exam rooms were completely renovated into the 21st century with new flooring, cabinets, paint, patient table, furniture, etc. About two months ago, this same person came to us and offered us $5,000 more if we could convince the Mott Area Community to give half a match – or $7,500. We took this offer and ran with it. Our first stop was with Troy Mosbrucker and the Mott City Council – they gifted a dollar for dollar match up to $5,000! Then it was on to Wilbur Ellis who gave $2,000. Next was the Commercial bank of Mott Board of Directors giving $1,000 to the challenge. And a WRHS physician donated $1,000! We blanketed the town of Mott and the surrounding areas with posters, donor cards, advertising and articles in the Eido Connect and area newspapers; an 800 piece mailer inviting area residents to come to the “Mott Area Community matching Challenge Meeting” at the Mott Playhouse Theatre on January 18th. With sub-zero temperatures and blowing snow, over 50 people attended the event. We hope they enjoyed the complimentary popcorn, pop, and door prizes. Plus having to sit through a power point presentation from yours truly about the history of West River Health Services and more specifically, the reason we were all there, to hear about the “Mott Area Challenge.” WRHS CEO Jim Long and Dr. Willoughby spoke about our technology and how we are all really just one caring community in southwestern North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota. When it was all said and done, we raised another $6,850 on this night alone. Unbelievable! Overall, with the anonymous $5,000 match and the $5,000 Mott City Council match, we are currently over $26,000 raised!! We are going to renovate the remaining two patient exam rooms. And we will prioritize the most important needs to utilize the remaining funds. Because we said, and we stand by our word, that every cent given to this campaign will strictly be used for improvements to the WRHS Mott Clinic – nowhere else! Thank you Mott area community – the families that stepped up with gifts from $15-$2,500; the Mott Ambulance Squad and Mott Volunteer Fire Brigade that gave $500 each; the businesses that gifted $50-$2,000; the Mott City Council, the Mott Lions, the Eido. It’s amazing when rural communities pull together for the good of everyone.
Next on our plate at the Foundation is our “One Room At a Time – Together” Campaign, where we are trying to raise $145,500 for renovations to 42 resident rooms at our Western Horizons Care Center. This facility was built in 1962. Our residents deserve better. We aim to renovate the flooring, the furniture, the lighting, the sinks, the paint, the decorations – you name it, we plan to bring respect and pride back to Western Horizons (for the future). The campaign will start rolling out the week of February 1st, so brace yourselves. You will begin seeing advertising in newspapers, on billboards, on the local access channel, in stores, on bulletin boards. And you’ll hear us on the radio and in person. We have a need. And we have a plan. In fact, we have already raised over $41,000 via a $25,000 gift from the Foundation Board of Directors to jump start the campaign; plus we’ve received $4,400 from Uecker Yards Inc. and Ted and Sheri Uecker, $2,000 from Farmers Union insurance, $2,000 from the Community Clothes Closet, $710 from a Hettinger family, $500 from a Lodgepole ranch family and $250 from National Mutual Benefit. And we haven’t even rolled out the campaign yet! See ya soon.
If you’d ever like to visit about the Foundation or have us come and present to your organization’s meetings, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 701-567-3666 or 701-567-6187. We are a non-profit 501 C 3 charitable organization. We can help you with awesome tax credits. Better yet, we won’t tell you what to do with your money – just how you might consider supporting what just may be the key organization in your community. Because let’s face it, without our health, what do we really have?
Until next time, we have lots of work to do. Thanks for supporting us.
Extra special thanks to the following businesses, organizations and families for your amazing gifts from $250-$10,000 in the last three months: Marion Construction, Mike & Sandy Marion; David Schauer; Jodi Uecker; Hettinger City Council; Tom Rusch Land & Cattle Co.; Anonymous Mott Area Citizen; Uecker Yards Inc.; Ted & Sheri Uecker; RZ Motors; Modern Woodmen; Thrifty White Pharmacy; August & Lucille Kirschemann; Delores Thormodsgard; Dennis & Dava Rustan; Farmers Union Insurance, Jerel & Arlinda Seamands; Dr. Josh & Dr. Carrie Ranum; Alliance Ag Cooperative; Wilbur-Ellis; Mott Equity Exchange; Don Nash family; Valle Grande Ranch, Clarence & Susan Archibald; Dr. Roger & Janet Schauer; Bob & Gayla Parker; Dr. Mark & Lanae Kristy; Randy & Della Christensen; Keith & Sharon Kvanvig; Commercial Bank of Mott; David Nygaard; Eugene Thompson Family; Slope Electric Cooperative Inc,; Bev Krambeer Family; Ainesworth-Benning; Hettinger Blarney Society; Michael Kirshten; Dr. John & Gina Joyce; Dr. Brian & Kim Willoughby; Charles & Tina Miller; Don Schaible Family; Bruce & Cynthia Erickson; Hettinger Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Cathy Houle & Todd Shirek; Doris Christman; Betty Svihovec; Jerry & Betty Nelson; David Glaser; Mott Fire Brigade; Mott Ambulance Service; Barb & Terry West; Mike and Shelly Lyons; Ervin & Donnavee Schneider; Jim & Jenifer Long; Mott Bus Service; Alpha Delta #6245; Ada Jean Cornella; Dick & Mary Vliem; Royal Neighbors; Dennis & Linda Drayton; Sailer Angus Ranch, Ted Sailer; National Mutual Benefit; Mott Lions Club; Tom & Marla Braaten; Dr. Chris & Ronda Schauer; Dave & Carol Fordahl; Eido Connect; KNDC; and Adams County Record.
1/26/16