Lakeland Gala Raises Record-High $105,000 for Health Programs and Services
Nearly 300 southwest Michigan residents recently
attended the annual Lakeland Health Foundation Gala, held at the Inn at Harbor Shores in St. Joseph. Through sponsorships, ticket sales, a silent auction, and a raffle, the Gala raised $105,000 – the highest amount generated
at a Foundation event to date – to benefit patient care
at Lakeland and to support key wellness initiatives
in the community.
“Over the years, with our community’s help, the
Foundation has helped bring our area many wonderful services – things like robotic surgery, the Merlin and
Carolyn Hanson Hospice Center, and the Marie Yeager Cancer Center,” said David Burghart, President of the
Lakeland Health Foundations and Vice President of
Philanthropy, Lakeland Health. “By being here tonight, you are supporting not only great patient care at Lakeland, but also the well-being of everyone in southwest Michigan.”
The event’s theme, “Queen of Hearts,” referred not only
to Lakeland’s continued focus on cardiac care, but also to the organization’s commitment to touching the hearts
of patients, their family members, and the community.
Loren B. Hamel, MD, President and CEO of
Lakeland Health, discussed several examples of
how Lakeland touches hearts in the community every day, including the organization’s parish and senior center nurses who care for local residents in churches and senior centers, and the Healing Paws program, which uses a grant from the Lakeland Health Foundation to bring
therapy dogs to area nursing homes and other facilities.
“We are privileged to touch hearts every day by helping to provide exemplary, compassionate care for our friends and neighbors in southwest Michigan,” said Dr. Hamel. “Lakeland is not only in the business of healthcare, but
the business of love.”
Pictured above: L to R: Robert and Carol Starks and Mike and Lynn Todman