Wine tasting, part 3

Continued from last week.

The walk down memory lane continues in part three of the history of the Odessa Healthcare Foundation’s wine tasting and auctions.

After the “rough winter” of 2008-09, the Odessa Healthcare Foundation chose to focus on raising money for a new 4-wheel drive ambulance. The board knew this would be a multi-year project since new ambulances cost in the $150,000-$200,000 range. The 18th (2009) and 19th (2010) annual wine tasting and auctions raised over $55,000 toward the ambulance. That, combined with memorials and other donations, resulted in the purchase of a new ambulance in February 2011.

In 2009, the foundation purchased a software program for tracking donations and printing bidder sheets, as well as having the ability to accept credit cards to pay for the purchase of auction items. Prior to this purchase, everything was done by hand. New in 2010 was the dessert auction, where the winning bidder could share the dessert with their table or take it home.

The 20th annual event was held May 1, 2011. On display that evening was the recently purchased ambulance. Over $40,000 was raised toward the purchase of a chemistry analyzer machine, with more than $9,000 more contributed in a special “raise the paddle” auction to purchase an automatic vital signs machine for the new ambulance. Also new was the introduction of a game called “Ace in the Hole,” with Barb Schlimmer in charge of selling chances to win one of the live auction items (with some exceptions).

The “Ace in the Hole” game proved to be so popular, that a second deck of cards was added for the 21st annual wine tasting and auction held May 4, 2012. Two winners now had the opportunity to select one of the live auction items (with some exceptions). That night, more than $30,000 was raised for the electronic medical records project, while the “raise the paddle” special auction raised $7,000 for various departments at the hospital.

The goal of the 22nd annual wine tasting and auction on May 3, 2013, was to raise money to replace the aging defibrillator in the emergency room of the Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center with a new state-of-the-art cardiac monitor/defibrillator and to sponsor a summer recreation program. Over $25,000 was raised.

The night of May 2, 2014, the Odessa Community Center was filled with eager bidders attending the 23rd annual wine tasting and auction. Money raised that night was earmarked for the purchase of an iSTAT, a hand-held diagnostic tool that provides lab quality results at the patient’s bedside, and a new high-tech EKG machine for the emergency room. The first item up for bid during the live auction was a collection of Hospital Guild/Auxiliary cookbooks. The auxiliary had recently disbanded and the Foundation had agreed to take over the scholarships that the auxiliary had funded for students going into health-related careers. Sales from cookbooks, along with the proceeds from this live auction item, would be used to help fund the scholarships.

The 24th annual wine tasting, microbrew sampling and auction, was held May 1, 2015. The “Ace in the Hole” game continued to be popular, as was the introduction of a new game called “Corks for a Cause.” For $20, guests could pull a cork, which corresponded to a wrapped bottle of wine. Would you get an expensive bottle of red or the “2 Buck Chuck”? Over $35,000 was raised toward the purchase of a portable X-ray machine for the Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center and the scholarship fund.

And that brings us to 2016 and the 25th annual wine tasting, microbrew sampling and auction to be held May 6, 2016. The proceeds from this year will be used to purchase a new telephone system for the entire Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center and to replace the aging refrigerator at Quail Court. (Watch The Odessa Record in the coming weeks for further details.)

Through the years the Odessa Healthcare Foundation’s annual spring event has grown and evolved from “a wine tasting party to “an evening of wine tasting, microbrew sampling and auctions,” often referred to as “the wine tasting auction.” None of it would have been possible without the dedication and hard work of many, many volunteers, the generosity of the individual and business donors and, most importantly, the support of our guests and bidders.

Thank you for going on this journey with us and we hope to see you on May 6, 2016.