Grande Ronde Hospital | Life & Health | Spring 2019

Contact the Foundation 900 Sunset Drive La Grande, OR 97850 Phone: 541-963-1431 Email: foundation@grh.org The Grande Ronde Hospital Foundation used the third year of its annual gala to celebrate “A Night Under the Stars.” Fundraising for this fiscal year’s project is for the SimMan 3G training manne- quin and system. This year’s sellout crowd contributed more than $24,000 in profit to the fund- raising efforts of the Foundation. Founda- tion Manager Patrick Flynn was humbled and grateful for the attendees’ generosity. “The turnout and support was huge. People are having a great time and seeing the efforts and impact of the Foundation’s mission. They want to back our cause because they recognize the benefits of having top-notch, unique equipment that supports the passions of our staff,” he says. A silent auction was a new element added this year by request from past attendees. Popular items included all- inclusive Caribbean vacations, a Seattle Mariners weekend getaway, a personal- ized barbecue catering service from Goodnight BBQ Co., and a Hines Meat Co. cooler and meat package. Attendees enjoyed the hilarious antics of Taylor Mason, a ventriloquist and come- dian who worked the crowd, bringing attendees up on stage to take a hand at operating the puppets, resulting in side-splitting laughter. Because this year’s event was so successful, changes are being made to try and accommodate more people for next year’s gala. “We are doing whatever we can to make more room,” Flynn says. “I really encourage people who want to come next year to get their tickets early!” Foundation celebrates 50 years by telling its story To celebrate Grande Ronde Hospital Foundation turning 50 in 2019, we debuted a new video telling the story of the Foundation and some of its accom- plishments as well as featuring some enduring supporters. The professionally produced video highlights the beginnings of the Foundation, when the current hospital building was built in 1965 using community sourced funds which then led to the founding of the Foundation to better facilitate community giving. As a special surprise in the video, lifelong Union County resident Don Fincher shared about his experience as the primary backhoe operator the day of the groundbreaking ceremony. Fincher also dug all of the footings for the original hospital. The video touches on many of the projects that the Foundation has been able to fund over the years. One of the first, an isolette, was used for warming and isolating premature and at-risk newborns. The latest project included in the video is our new 3D mammography machine purchased in 2017. You can view the 50th anniversary video, as well as our video about the SimMan 3G equipment project and other projects on YouTube. Search for “Grande Ronde Hospital.” Third annual Foundation gala boasts sellout crowd + BE IN THE KNOW Stay up-to-date on Foundation news, and be the first to know when 2020 gala tickets go on sale. Contact the Foundation office at 541-963-1431 or by email at foundation@grh.org and join our newsletter list. Donate to the GRH Foundation at grh.org/foundation . 3