John C. Fremont Hospital Foundation Black & White Ball
November 30, 2024 – The John C. Fremont Hospital Foundation hosted its premier fundraising event, the Black and White Ball, on Saturday, November 9, 2024.
The Foundation board declared the event an amazing success.
“We live in such a generous community,” said Foundation president Heather Bernikoff. “The money raised at this event, approximately $35,500 net, will help us to make investments in high-quality equipment, workforce development, and scholarships that will support the health of the community. Our generous community makes this possible.”
Foundation board member and Events committee chairperson, Mike Wichmann, added, “I’m especially grateful to everyone who worked so hard to put this event together.”
“I would like to thank all of our JCF Hospital Foundation board members - Megan Mickel, Anna Mejias, Beth Tomsick, Jill Harry, Saralynn Nusbaum, and Heather Bernikoff. They devoted so much time and effort to put on the event,” said Wichmann.
“Thanks also to all of the JCF Healthcare District board members and staff who assisted, especially Pat Ryan and Suzette Prue,” he continued. “And all of the volunteers - too many to name - who helped with event registration, decorating, flowers - Trent Williams!, setup, cleanup, and more; all of our contractors including Chef Heidi Pusina, 1850 Restaurant & Brewing Co., The Soul Galaxy, Amber Edwards Photography, and Yosemite Events Rental; Buster Hewlett, auctioneer; and all of the Fairgrounds staff.”
Event sponsors included MACT Health Board, Inc and Yosemite Hospitality, a division of Aramark, at the Acorn $5,000 level; Steve and Rosemarie Smallcombe at the $2,500 Buckeye level; Merco Credit Union, Pioneer Market, Sheila Raboy, Warbird Consulting Partners, Balanced Rock, WestAmerica Bank at the $1,500 Redbud level; Foster’s Ace Hardware, Pat Ryan, Force 10 Partners, Marco Noia, Tim Barnes, DDS, Hong Jae “Peter” Choi and Colleen Choi, and Sierra Asset Management at the $500 Sunflower level; Madera County Supervisor Bobby Macauley, Truebridge, Inc., and the Bernikoff-Raboy family at the $250 Poppy level.
“The JCF Hospital Foundation Board wishes to extend our deepest gratitude to our generous sponsors,” said Bernikoff. “It’s because of these remarkable partners that we could bring the community an unforgettable evening in support of rural health.”
“It’s an expensive event to put on and none of it would be possible without the heartwarming generosity of our sponsors, local businesses, and event attendees,” said Wichmann. “This community stepped up and voted to fund the hospital rebuild, and they stepped up to support the JCF Hospital Foundation by attending the Black and White Ball, and for that, we are extremely grateful.”
The theme was “Planting the Seeds.”
“By making investments in health careers, community programming and life-saving equipment, we are planting the seeds for better healthcare in our region,” said Bernikoff. “This past year, the Foundation Board continued to rebuild, adding board members. At the same time, the board provided $37,000 in equipment to the John C. Fremont Healthcare District, $2,000 in scholarships for Healthcare District staff furthering their healthcare education, and $3,000 in scholarships to high school seniors pursuing careers in health. We want to increase this amount and scale our capacity to support the community in building a new hospital. Funds raised at the Black and White Ball is the first critical step toward this goal. Plus, it was a tasty and fun event.”
Delicious appetizers and dinner were created by Chef Heidi Pusina. 1850 Restaurant & Brewing Company took care of guests' wishes at the bar.
Throughout the evening, local photographer Amber Edwards took professional photos in a formal photo setting of all who wanted this great service, with results available for purchase online later.
The Soul Galaxy, with special guest singer Cynthia Huddleston-Bennett, set the mood with background music before dinner and an awesome set of up-tempo dancing music after dinner.
Wichmann hosted a brief program that included community member Nancy Fluharty describing her baby's recent emergency situation and the positive outcome provided by the Healthcare District, thus illustrating the need for such services in our rural community.
To guests’ great enjoyment, there were an incredible array of donated items to bid on in the silent auction. After dinner, Buster Hewlett of Hewlett Auctions auctioned off special high-end gifts to eager and generous bidders. There was also a raffle and a hidden prize game.
“The Foundation Board also wishes to profusely thank all of the auction item donors, individuals who donated cash over their ticket cost, those who donated tickets to others, and the many, many individuals and entities who provided in-kind support,” said Wichmann.
It was a night of fun with a few surprises along the way, and an opportunity for guests to mingle with friends and community members in an elegant, festive atmosphere in support of a most worthy cause.
Proceeds raised at the Ball will directly benefit the Healthcare District’s programs and services, such as the hospital, Home Health and Hospice, and outpatient services, as well as scholarships and community health programs in our surrounding rural areas.
If you were unable to make this year’s Ball, you still have the opportunity to participate. Please consider a holiday season gift to our youngest community members, an infant warming table for the emergency department. You can donate at this link: https://givebutter.com/nkLViP, via check to JCFHF, PO Box 1093, Mariposa, CA 95338, or through the website jcfhospitalfoundation.org. Donations are tax deductible.
For more information or questions, contact the Foundation at (209) 966-1166, jcfhospitalfoundation@gmail.com, or visit our website at jcfhospitalfoundation.org.
To stay up to date with the Foundation’s latest news, like and follow JCFHospitalFoundation on Facebook and Instagram.
Source & photo: JCF Hospital Foundation