Baptist Health Foundation’s An Evening of Gratitude Celebrates Major Donors to Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital
MARATHON, FL - April 18, 2024 - Nearly 200 guests attended An Evening of Gratitude benefiting Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital, which was held on April 6, 2024 at Oceanfront Park in Marathon, Florida. The event raised $350,000 as the Foundation celebrated its Giving Society members and other donors to Fishermen’s Community Hospital. All proceeds from the evening will support the hospital’s most critical needs.
The event featured a cocktail hour, dinner, live auction, live band and more. Speakers included Jane Packard, event chair; Jay Hershoff, Baptist Health Board of Trustees chair; Alex Villoch, Baptist Health Foundation CEO; and Drew Grossman, Mariners Hospital and Fishermen’s Community Hospital CEO. Grateful patient Nancy Hershoff and her Baptist Health caregiver Stacy Barrios also spoke during the program.
“Fishermen’s Community Hospital is something special – a true community hospital with a rich history of caring for the community and a history of this community supporting this hospital with incredible generosity,” said Drew Grossman.
Alex Villoch added, “Folks in the Middle Keys truly understand the impact of generosity for Fishermen’s Community Hospital. Most recently, this community united to raise nearly $1.5 million to help open the new medical arts building. We are also incredibly grateful to the Walsh family for making a $5 million donation, naming the Walsh Family Medical Arts Building and bringing our fundraising total to almost $6.5 million.”
Presenting sponsors of the event included Kelley & Joan Bergstrom. Gold sponsors of the event included Lookout Foundation, Media Counselors, Small Hospital Innovations, Rosemary Thomas and Geraldine & William Weir. Silver sponsors included Charley Toppino & Sons, Rebecca Godchaux,
Betty & Jim Howe, Ocean Sotheby’s, Judith & Nick Rifkin, Dee & Don Swatik and Aleta & Dean Williamson. Bronze sponsors included Campbell Engineering Consultants, First State Bank, Holly Raschein, Marathon Lumber, Trane and Sue & Dave Williamson. Copper sponsors included Coldwell Banker Schmitt, Discount Rock & Sand, Susan Ruck and Supreme Landscaping.
Located in Marathon in the heart of the Florida Keys, Fishermen’s Community Hospital is a state-of-the-art eight-bed facility that was built from the ground up with generous community support. It opened its doors the summer of 2021 and is designed to meet current and future needs by providing critical services close to home, including endoscopy, oncology, surgery and more. Baptist Health Foundation promotes philanthropy to assist Fishermen’s Community Hospital in providing outstanding, compassionate patient care, as well as enhancing medical resources in the middle Keys.
About Baptist Health Foundation
The mission of Baptist Health Foundation is to inspire philanthropy and build extraordinary donor relationships in support of excellence, innovation, community wellness and global leadership in healthcare at Baptist Health. Through philanthropy, the Foundation supports and expands Baptist Health’s ability to provide outstanding patient care and bring the latest treatments to patients and families affected by a serious illness. Donor contributions also allow the Foundation to assist Baptist Health facilities in keeping pace with technology and equipment advances, perform cutting-edge research and offer continuing education opportunities to medical staff. Learn more at BaptistHealth.net/Foundation and connect with us on Instagram and Facebook.
About Baptist Health
Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 12 hospitals, more than 27,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 200 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Baptist Health South Florida has internationally renowned institutes specializing in cancer care, brain and spine care, heart and vascular care and orthopedic care. In addition, it includes Baptist Health Medical Group; Baptist Health Quality Network; and The Baptist Health PineApp, a virtual health platform. Baptist Health South Florida is an academic and clinical affiliate of Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. A not-for-profit organization supported by philanthropy and committed to its faith-based charitable mission of medical excellence, Baptist Health South Florida has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and is the most awarded healthcare system in South Florida by U.S. News and World Report. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/Newsroom and connect with us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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