Wow! Our area community continues to step up for our local “close to home” healthcare system, West River Health Services (WRHS). This past Friday, October 19th, at the KNDC Farm & Home Show at the Hettinger Armory, fifty area citizens opened their wallets for $10 or more gifts to the WRHS Foundation in exchange for their choice of a pumpkin or five gourds. By the end of the day, $1,515 had been raised for various areas of our healthcare system!
The breakout of areas where their gifts were applied are as follows: Physician Recruitment Endowment Fund -- $1,125; Western Horizons Living Centers -- $210; General Foundation -- $120; Scholarship -- $30; Ambulance -- $20; and Partners In Health Club -- $10. The WRHS Foundation’s new Physician Recruitment Endowment Fund really hit home with most all of the farm & home show attendees. They understand the importance of having top physicians on the front lines with our patients. And they have witnessed a few of our physicians retiring or returning home to be near family. This new Physician Recruitment Endowment Fund could play a huge role in helping us secure top physicians and their families to join our area communities in the future.
The Foundation at West River Health Services has been providing donated pumpkins for the area community every October at the KNDC Farm & Home Show for the last five years. Historically, this pumpkin fundraising endeavor has raised from $1,085 to $1,746 each year, for a grand total of $7,456 – from donated pumpkins! And now gourds too! This year, the largest gifts of the day, ranging from $100-$200, were provided by Royal Neighbors of America, Christi & Garret Schmitz, Erin & Alan Timm, Lanae & Dr. Mark Kristy, Sheri & Ted Uecker and Jeff Greff. THANK YOU – we are so grateful for your generous gifts.
Winners of our drawings for auto emergency safety kits, first aid kits and t-shirts were Phyllis Enerson, Sarah Skogen, Jim Schmidt and LaNae Kristy. Our free children’s drawing winners were Patricia Jordao (Slime Kit) and Jack Schauer (Jenga Quake game).
SPECIAL THANKS to Sheri Uecker, Sue Bentsen and Violet Olson for donating all of their home-raised pumpkins and gourds for this event. The variety of your pumpkins was quite amazing – with orange, peanut, blue, white, and warty pumpkins. Plus hundreds of unique and colorful gourds. Also, THANKS to WRHS employee Michelle Steen for volunteering to step in and cover our booth during the hectic noon hour blitz. Awesome job!
Of course, this being the 4th quarter, it is a good time to consider gifts to our Endowment Fund, as gifts of $5,000 or more are eligible for a 40% ND State Tax Credit. If you’d like to visit about a partnership (of any amount) with the WRHS Foundation, please contact Ted Uecker at 701-567-3666. He’ll be more than happy to explain how you can leave a legacy here for the future. Onward! By Ted Uecker, WRHS Foundation