Picture of a female doctor speaking with a female elderly patient in an office setting.

11th Annual St. Luke Hospital Foundation Fall Benefit a Big Success!

Release date: October 28, 2023

On Saturday, October 28, 2023, St. Luke Hospital Foundation held its 11th Annual Fall Benefit at Marion Community Center. The event aimed to raise funds for the $1 million expansion of St. Luke Hospital’s therapy and purchasing departments.

The therapy department will grow by 1,000 square feet. This will create an open-floor concept with new equipment and room for our speech therapy program. The therapy department will be gutted, redesigned, and reconfigured. The new layout will enhance therapy services for student-athletes and older adults, who are our fastest-growing patient demographics.

Donations will also go towards expanding our purchasing department by approximately 400 square feet. Currently, the garage door of the purchasing department cannot be closed during deliveries. Expanding the purchasing department will correct this problem and ensure a more energy efficient and secure delivery process.

The Fall Benefit was a success. About 110 people attended this year, compared with 78 last year. After expenses, the event generated more than $16,000 for the hospital addition. Attendees enjoyed food, entertainment, a raffle, and a live auction. The event was catered by Taco Truck at That One Place. The live auction showcased incredible places in Kansas, like Flint Oak Hunting Lodge and Flint Hills National Golf Club. Attendees also took advantage of several getaways that included dining, lodging, and entertainment. Hospital CEO Alex Haines opened the evening with some remarks, and expressed his, and the Foundation’s, appreciation to the St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary for recently passing a significant milestone, donating more than $1 million to the Hospital since its inception.

RE/MAX broker Patty Putter sponsored the event’s entertainment, which was provided by the talented comedian and magician Tyler Korso, who gave a memorable performance. During an interview, Patty expressed enthusiasm about sponsoring the event, saying, “I was excited to be able to help the hospital out and also just do something fun for the community.” Patty said that she and her guests had a good time at the event. “I think it’s important that we try to support our own hospital because they do great things, and you don’t have to travel out of town to have services like physical therapy and radiology and things like that.” Patty grew up in Marion, and St. Luke Hospital has served her family for years. “I just think it’s important to do what we can to support our hospital and clinics,” Patty stated as she stressed the importance of giving back to your community.

Edward Jones Financial Advisor and Presenting Sponsor Chris Hernandez said during an interview, “I just like to give back to the community we serve. It’s not just St. Luke, but we try to support all of the schools and local community. Chris said he believes in a good culture and, “You don’t just take from a community for your own gain. You also need to reinvest back into that. We’re big believers in that. We believe in a partnership – growing a partner with our community to make it better.” Chris explained that partnering with others who are also giving back to the community adds value, “You have to maintain and work hard at that good culture, or you can lose it. So, we don’t ever want to get to that place.” When asked why the Fall Benefit was important to the community, Chris responded, “I think any community that wants to grow – that wants to have a place of safety needs good health care.” Chris said he knows we have a great hospital, and he knows many people who work there, “We want them to continue to be able to do their work and to serve communities.” Chris emphasized supporting anything positive that will promote our institutions and communities to be stronger, more vibrant, and inclusive, “I’m very humbled to be a part of it - glad that the people came out and opened their checkbooks for a great cause.” Chris hopes we can continue to build on that, “We’ve got a hospital, and it’s been there for a long time. We want somebody 50 years from now, 60 years from now, having the same conversations about trying to make their hospital better, and that’s not going to happen if we don’t each do our part.”

St. Luke Hospital Foundation Board President Sally Hannaford was pleased about the Fall Benefit’s success: “It turned out really well. The food was delicious, and the entertainment was good. We did a raffle and an auction this year, and it turned out well. So, it was a really good evening. It was successful!” During an interview, Sally said, “We’re right now helping raise money for the physical therapy department. I’ve used that place, and it is fantastic! It’s bringing other people from all around the county into it. The more you can raise and improve your hospital, the more specialized things you are able to offer.” Sally explained that the physical therapy department is excited about expanding because they’ve run out of room. Sally stressed the importance of everyone joining together to support their local hospital so that people won’t have to go to larger cities for emergency care and therapy. Sally expressed strong feelings about having a hospital and a good health facility in small towns and said, “I’m doing everything in my power to keep money coming and keep people interested in helping the hospital.” Sally expressed excitement about younger people getting involved, “We’re really excited how some of them have really stepped up and are beginning to help,” and, “I get really excited because there’s a lot that we can do and still things that we want to do.” Sally stressed the importance of doing all we can as patrons of the county and the community to keep things going well, “Get involved where you can. We take things for granted, but we’re lucky; not all towns our size have hospitals, and we want to keep it going. We have great doctors up here, physician assistants, and nurses. So, I just think we need to really work hard at keeping it going. So, I ask people to get involved and see what they can do to help and bring new ideas.” Sally encourages people to bring thoughts and new ideas from younger people or different thoughts on processes, “Get involved, don’t be scared to come ask and talk to us. Tell us what you want.”

Foundation Director Michael Perigo was also pleased with the results. “We basically reached capacity at the Community Center. Our sponsorships alone totaled more than the entire gross amount of last year’s event. The Foundation Board did a wonderful job in planning for this event. Community involvement, whether through sponsorships or individual donations, are the keys to an event’s success. Thank you to all who supported and attended the event. The big winners of this event are the growing number of therapy patients, especially those over 65, who represent the fastest growing demographic in the County,” said Perigo,

St. Luke Hospital is a 10-bed Critical Access Hospital that serves Marion County and nearby communities. It provides a wide range of services, including hospital care, emergency care, medical specialties, and therapy programs. Attached to the hospital is the St. Luke Living Center, a 31-bed long-term care unit that allows us to provide 24-hour nursing care. Other programs include Marion County Home Care, an emergency department. St. Luke Medical Clinic, the Wound Care Center, Senior Life Solutions (a mental health program for older adults), and other medical services. St. Luke Hospital and Living Center is governed by a seven-member Board of Directors. It is certified for Medicare and Medicaid. We provide care to a primary service area of 9,100 and have a county population of 12,000.

St. Luke Hospital Foundation is a separately incorporated non-profit charity. Its only purpose is to raise funds and other resources to benefit St. Luke Hospital and Living Center and its sponsored programs and services. It is governed by a Board of Directors. St. Luke Hospital Auxiliary is a part of the Foundation. It operates the St. Luke Auxiliary Shoppe thrift store in downtown Marion. It has contributed more than $1 million to St. Luke since its founding. It is guided by an Advisory Board. Please accept our thanks for your consideration and donations.

St. Luke’s mission is to enhance the community through personal care, quality service, and ethical practices. We strive to be the health system of choice as we reach out to individuals and set the standard for excellence in wellness and health care. The support of customers, donors, and volunteers is vital for keeping St. Luke Hospital and Living Center running.

We accept donations online or by postal mail. To donate, please contact:

St. Luke Hospital Foundation
620-382-2177 ext. 219
giving@slhmarion.org

Mailing Address:

St. Luke Hospital Foundation
PO Box 12
Marion, KS 66861-0012

Online donation form:

www.slhmarion.org/give-now