 The
Mid-Continental Restoration CO. warehouse rocked as 640 people partied at
the 15th annual Capture the Spirit Gala.
According to Carla Bryant, Mercy's Marketing
& Development director money raised from the Gala totaled about $49,000, and
proceeds will go toward the purchase of a Mammotome Breast Biospy System.
"Just think, to have this kind of response in a community of 8,500 people
and a county of 15,500 is incredible," she said as she surveyed the crowd
filling the warehouse converted just a few hours earlier into a Latin night
club.
In addition to the $49,000 generated by gala
donations, Farmer said a particularly generous donation of $10,000 had come
in just the day before from Joe and Billie Stephan of Corsicana, Texas. Joe
Stephan is the brother of Sister Charlene Stephan, who served as a nurse at
Mercy Hospital until her retirement in 1989.
At 10 p.m., Gala promotion organizer Kale
Nelson stepped up to the microphone as the "wheel of fortune" was spun to
see whose raffle number would win them a trip to the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas.
The room went quiet in anticipation as the brightly colored disc spun and
stopped on 134, and Jim Scott walked up to accept his prize. Another lucky
number belonged to Tom Horner, Lawrence, who won an $80 dinner at the Range
Steakhouse at Harrah's Casino in KC.
Throughout the evening, guests supped on
spicy skewered shrimp, Baron of beef and desserts such as chocolate
cheesecake or bread pudding smothered in caramel sauce. |
