Photos courtesy of Photographer Emma Wegmiller
Special to Iredell Free News
More than 200 people gathered at the Statesville Country Club on Saturday for an evening centered around Reconnecting, Remembrance, and Dedication.
The 10th biannual Gordon Hospice House Gala raised $180,000 to support patient care at the Gordon Hospice House..
“Our hope is that we can all reconnect with family and friends this evening. We also want to remember those who are no longer with us. We have lost so many in these last few years as a community. Let us remember and celebrate them all this evening. Finally, we want to dedicate this evening to all who support this event and the Gordon Hospice House so that we can continue to provide extraordinary care,” Mike Smith, Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County CEO told the crowd.
The special evening provided a perfect opportunity to recognize gala founder and former HPCIC Board Chair Margaret Johnson.
“Tonight, you are experiencing a vision Margaret had many years ago when she started the Gordon Hospice House Gala. It is part of her legacy to this community that is carried forward by a strong and hardworking committee here in this room tonight,” Charles Ashe, chief administrative & compliance officer, explained in a speech honoring Margaret.
Co-chairs Margaret and Thom Kincaid and Katie and Brian Long shared their personal stories about why they continue to support the Gordon Hospice House.
Margaret shared her experience of her father’s passing at Gordon Hospice House. “I may not remember everything that was said or done in those 24 days my father was at the Hospice House, but I will never forget how they made me feel,” she said.
Katie shared her hospice experience with her mother, who was just 59 years old. “My mother was an unbreakable force and was not ready to die. The staff at the Gordon Hospice House were none other than angels on earth,” she said.
Both stories reminded all why raising funds is so important.
Guests enjoyed an excellent sit-down dinner, drinks, auction, raffle, and dancing with live music from Johnny White & the Elites. WAME Radio’a Billy Buck served as the evening’s master of ceremonies and invited Melissa Neader to join him when encouraging the crowd to donate.
“We are incredibly thankful to the amazing Gala Committee who worked hard to make the evening a success. Our community’s generosity of this wonderful organization never ceases to amaze me. We are overwhelmed with the support shown for the Gordon Hospice House,” said Director of Development Mindy Rice.
HPCIC also expressed its gratitude to presenting sponsors of this year’s Gala, The Gordon Family, Lil Shavers Wood Shop, Raymer Oil, and the Carney Family and Lucktong Family.
As a non-profit organization, the Gordon Hospice House provides services to all in need, regardless of their ability to pay. Gordon Hospice House and all of Hospice & Palliative Care of Iredell County recently celebrated their seventh consecutive Hospice Honors Elite Award and the revealing of the new Medicare.gov star rating system, which ranks HPCIC as a five-star hospice, making it the only hospice in the area with that rating and one of only nine in the State of North Carolina.
2022 Gala Committee
Pictured (from left) are Dena Myers, Liz Cline, Devon Stamey, Brian Long, Katie Long, Margaret Kincaid, Thom Kincaid, Scarlett Chapman, Maureen Moore, Charles Ashe, Mindy Rice, Amanda Clendenin. Not pictured are Ashley Redmond, Abbi Troutman and Brian Griffith-Paige.
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