DCH FOUNDATION HOSTS 6th ANNUAL “KENTUCKY DERBY FUNDRAISER”

It was a beautiful, warm day in Southern Indiana on May 1st as the Daviess Community Hospital Foundation hosted their 6^TH Annual “Kentucky Derby Fundraiser”. A sellout crowd of 120 people were registered for the event with the purpose of raising money to support the Perinatal Navigator program at DCH.

Women were encouraged to wear hats or fascinators similar to those worn at the Kentucky Derby race at Churchill Downs. Men were also encouraged to wear a hat or tie that reflected the theme. Prizes were awarded for best Ladies Derby hat best Men’s Derby tie and/or hat. Winners were Amy Matteson for best hat/fascinator and Drew Fields for best tie/ensemble. Jen Houchins, DCH Marketing Coordinator, was on hand to capture the fun as guests posed in their Derby attire.

Foundation Board President Chasity Matthews welcomed guests and offered a prayer before the race and dinner. Event guests were seated at reserved tables where they watched the 147^th running of Kentucky Derby on live television.

“Due to the growth of this event, we moved the festivities to the Ed Lee North Chapel in Washington,” stated Angie Steiner, DCH Foundation Director. “It turned out to be a perfect location with ample space to mingle, dine and dance. Our sincere thanks to Andy Arvin for donating this beautiful space to us for the event”. Steiner also noted that there were many activities to keep the guests occupied including bourbon tasting, Disinger Jewelry chances for a ladies ring, and viewing of the online auction items up for bid this year.

After dinner, guest speaker Shawna O’Kelley Brinson, RN shared information about the women and babies who have been, and will be, directly impacted by the proceeds from this year’s event.

The DCH Foundation has been very supportive of the DCH Women’s Health Center requests over the past several years with the help of donations from community members. Last fall, Desiree Lewis, RN, Perinatal Navigator, gave a very thorough and professional presentation to the Foundation Board regarding another great need in the Women’s Health Center which is to provide financial support to the ever-growing female population seeking prenatal care without insurance or money. In an effort to ensure that babies are born healthy despite the lack of insurance or public health funding, the Foundation Board approved the request to assist these patients in 2021.

The DCH Foundation has also funded “sleep sacks”, which are a safer sleep garment than blankets. This generous donation ensures that every baby born at DCH leaves the hospital with a sleep sack.

The Cradle Wall project continues to raise funds by medallions purchased in honor of babies born at DCH by their family members. These medallions have the actual footprint image from a child’s birth certificate and mounted on a display next to the DCH Nursery. Many families bring their children in to see the footprints as they grow older.

Funding was also provided in recent years for a laptop which is linked to a webcam at Ascension St Vincent in Evansville. This technology allows a mother to see her newborn in the NICU until she is released from the hospital and can travel to be with her baby.

Mike Head, President and CEO of Home Building Savings Bank, spoke about the bank’s commitment to support the event through a corporate sponsorship. Ascension St. Vincent – Evansville was also a sponsor of the event this year.

Tracy Conroy, CEO of Daviess Community Hospital thanked everyone in attendance for supporting this event.

“The Daviess Community Hospital Foundation has made a commitment to help provide support to the Perinatal Navigator Program,” stated Steiner. “I am thrilled to share that the funds raised this year for the Perinatal Navigator Program fundraisers total $17,000.00. Donations are still being accepted as we know that the need is greater than what has been raised thus far.”

Next year’s event will again be held on the first Saturday in May to coincide with the Kentucky Derby. For more information on the DCH Foundation efforts, please contact Angie Steiner at 812-254-8858 or asteiner@dchosp.org.

(Pictured left to right: Committee Members (left to right): Pam Williams, Lynn Goodwin, Ericka Frances,

Alicia Fields – DNP, Angie Steiner, Brandon Smith, Marsha Matteson)