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OLD NORTH STATE CLUB
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A Tradition of Giving
Old North State fundraiser benefits local hospice for 17 years … and counting
BACK IN 2004, a representative from Hospice of Stanly & the Uwharrie (HSC) spoke to a women’s group at Old North State Club – and everyone in attendance had a personal experience to share about hospice care. Fast forward, nearly 17 years, to today’s Hospice Benefit Dinner, an annual fundraiser hosted for Old North State Club members and the surrounding community. This successful event follows a progressive dinner format with appetizers served at ONSC, followed by dinner and dessert served at a different hosts’ home within the neighborhood.
“This event is huge for HSC, and it’s what I call ‘a thirdparty fundraiser,’” says Lori Thayer, Executive Director at Hospice of Stanly & the Uwharrie. “[Old North State Hospice committee members] even collect the checks and donations for us. There are so many organizations that need donors, and we are honored and grateful that year-after-year, Old North State chooses us.”
The mission of Hospice of Stanly & the Uwharrie is to surround patients and their families with compassionate care, enabling them to embrace the end of life with dignity, courage and peace. Hospice is a program of care that integrates the compassion, expertise, skills and perspectives of a diverse team. Every year at the Hospice
TOP: Elaine Mcllquham, Susan Pandich, Marlene Mittendorf, Joanna Foster, Pam Ford & Peggy Stubenrauch. ABOVE: Hospice Committee Seven-Year Agreement
Benefit Dinner, HSC staff members educate and speak to Old North State members about the fundraiser’s impact. Beyond the event layout, Old North State members consistently participate and donate to hospice because they believe in the cause.
“The Hospice Benefit Dinner not only provides you with
“The gifts and support from Old North State are vital and allow the team to remain focused on the comfort of our patients.”
– Lori Thayer, Executive Director at Hospice of Stanly & the Uwharrie
ANNUAL HOSPICE
BENEFIT DINNER
Old North State at Uwharrie Point Community
CONTRIBUTION RECORD AS OF 2020 YEAR EVENT DATE NET DONATIONS ATTENDEES 2020 CANCELLED/COVID $26,855.00 0 2019 APRIL 13 $22,255.04 127 2018 MAY 5 $21,320.00 114 2017 APRIL 29 $19,215.00 123 2016 APRIL 16 $15,713.00 108 2015 APRIL 18 $15,505.08 118 2014 APRIL 12 $12,881.06 98 2013 APRIL 20 $12,366.38 93 2012 APRIL 28 $11,395.00 106 2011 APRIL 30 $13,950.00 119 2010 APRIL 17 $13,360.00 120 2009 APRIL 25 $13,950.00 152 2008 APRIL 26 $13,932.00 128 2007 MAY 19 $13,581.42 124 2006 MAY 20 $12,151.27 168 2005 APRIL 30 $11,267.52 158 2004 MAY 1 $6,082.88 152
AVERAGE
TOTAL YEARS TOTAL DONATIONS ATTENDEES 17 $255,780.65 126 Chef-prepped to-go bags
the opportunity to use your best dinnerware and meet some of your neighbors for the first time, it allows you to give back to a great cause,” says Marilyn Powell, who hosted the first appetizer hour for the event in 2004. “I think hospice is so wonderful, and people consistently donate and participate each year because of the first-hand experiences their loved ones had while in hospice care.”
Community support helps keep the cost of the event low. With donations of items such as wine, invitation printing, postage, stationery and calligraphy services, the community works together to maximize the net contribution to hospice.
In its first year, under a progressive dinner format for the entire neighborhood, club and community, the committee partnered with Old North State Club to host the Hospice Benefit Dinner for 150 attendees. The initial format was setup for all attendees to visit a single home for appetizers, and then break up in groups and travel to other homes in the neighborhood for dinner, and meet up at another home for dessert. Every year, Old North State Club provides all of the food for the event, including packaged meals with housing assignments, instructions on how to heat and plate the food, and notes about guest food allergies.
“The partnership we’ve had with Old North State Club has been phenomenal,” says Pat. Salmonese, advisor and former chair of the Hospice Benefit Dinner. “Having their involvement has been critical to our success.”
In 2010, a more formal leadership structure was established to maintain consistency within the committee, provide continuous improvement and ensure long-term success for the initiative. Committee members even documented the agreement for seven years of leadership on an Old North State cocktail napkin.
“We keep what we call ‘the box’ as a filing of notes from each [Hospice Benefit Dinner] to help us stay
organized. This includes notes about what worked and did not work at each dinner and location. How many cups of coffee did we use, how many bottles of wine, etc. After 17 years, the event seems to run itself because of the organization and order it has every year,” says Salmonese. “People who join the committee tend to stay on board for three to five years, taking a larger role each year. The committee has a chair and co-chair with the intention that ‘this year’s co-chair is next year’s chair.’”
This past year – due to the pandemic – the Hospice Benefit Dinner committee switched to a donationonly event. They raised $26,855, surpassing the initial goal of $25,000.
“The community really stepped up and raised a tremendous amount of funds for hospice,” says Debbie Struthers, 2020/2021 chairperson of the dinner committee. “This goes to show how much our community cares about this special nonprofit.”
When invitations are sent out each year, members consistently pledge to donate to the cause with nearly every RSVP card returning to the committee as a contribution. This occurred before and during 2020, which shows how willing members are to donate in spite of not having a formal event to attend.
“With their support, no one needing our specialized level of hospice care is turned away and everyone is treated with the same compassion and respect, regardless of financial circumstances,” says Thayer. “The gifts and support from Old North State are vital and allow the team to remain focused on the comfort of our patients – and the spiritual, emotional and psychological support we provide to patients and family alike.”
Beverly Marler, McConnell Golf’s Triad Regional Director, worked with the committee on behalf of Old North State Club in 2019 and was impressed with the organization of the event.
“Having seen it first-hand, it’s easy to understand how they have been so successful in their fundraising efforts over the years,” Marler says. “This annual opportunity to give back in their community is exactly what McConnell Golf’s Footprints on the Green program is all about.”
Since 2004, the total net contribution donated to Hospice of Stanly & the Uwharrie from the Benefit Dinner has exceeded $255,000 with an average of 126 donors per year. While the committee is still working to determine whether or not the Hospice Benefit Dinner will take place in some capacity in 2021, they know another fundraiser will take place regardless of the format.
For more information about the Hospice Benefit Dinner, visit Old North State Club’s Footprints on the Green page on www.OldNorthStateClub.com.
Pat. & Frank Salmonese
“I think hospice is so wonderful, and people consistently donate and participate each year because of the first-hand experiences their loved ones had while in hospice care.”
– Marilyn Powell
