Wine Tasting and Auction post-event summary

All the post-event activities are complete, with reports printed, bills paid, and income and expenses posted and summarized. The Odessa Healthcare Foundation Board is pleased to report that the 2014 event was a big success. More than 150 people attended the gala and appeared to have an especially good time.

Bidding was brisk and active, with a total of 140 items offered through the silent auction process and 33 items in the live auction. The two winners of the Ace-in-the-Hole drawings chose the Northern Quest Casino and Destination Leavenworth packages. The hottest live auction items included the two purses in the Choose-a-Purse offering, the Russell Wilson helmet, a gun safe, quilts, and – would you believe – smoked turkeys.

The Special Funded Item Auction brought in $8,175. Total net proceeds for the event were in excess of $35,000.

The dollars our patrons spent at the auction will be used for the purchase of an iSTAT, an advanced handheld diagnostic tool that provides real-time, lab-quality results within minutes at the patient’s bedside. Funds raised at the Special Funded Auction will be used for the purchase of an EKG machine for the emergency room. Since proceeds exceeded the cost of this item, other emergency room equipment purchases are being considered.

Proceeds from the Hospital Guild cookbook collection item and sales of cookbooks at the event were sufficient to cover this year’s Health-Related Careers Scholarship.

Members of the Odessa Healthcare Foundation Board were happy with the support given by members of the community in terms of gifts and time donated, as well as attendance at the event and purchase of the auction items. We are looking forward to next year’s event, which we believe will be equally successful, if not more so.