GO HAWAIIAN FOR HOSPICE

Local Bank and Businesses Team for Fun and Fundraising

When Erv Inniger accompanied his good friend, and well-known community philanthropist, Norene Bunker through the last months of life, he marveled at the fantastic care given by Hospice of the Red River Valley. As Inniger described it, “The service provided by the Hospice nurses was unbelievable. They furnished care with dignity, respect and compassion in the midst of an extremely tough situation.” In addition, their care didn’t stop when Bunker passed away; they continued to check and make sure that Inniger was doing okay with bereavement support throughout the subsequent months.

After that experience, Inniger was determined to find a way to give back to the organization which had so clearly touched his life. As Senior Director of Community Relations with Choice Financial Group, Inniger has the opportunity to speak daily with a wide variety of people in the Fargo and Moorhead area and beyond. Through many of those connections, he learned almost everyone he met had in some way been touched by the good work of Hospice. “Everyone’s story is different but it is clear the Hospice folks know how to handle people and make a positive impact on lives at a very sensitive time.”

The idea for some type of fundraiser began to germinate. Inniger collaborated with his Choice Financial colleague Kristina Holtgard to develop what has become known as “Go Hawaiian for Hospice.” The fundraiser is a clear example of community camaraderie and cooperation as all of the businesses in the Choice Financial neighborhood work together to make the day a success. Twenty different businesses collaborate to provide everything from food and facilities for cooking, to parking lot space and volunteer servers. That group of sponsors includes: Kasowski Farms, Simplot, Brand Trucking, GoPromo, Petro Serve USA, TMI Hospitality, AmeriPride, Hornbacher’s, Premium Waters, Fargo RentAll, The Yogurt Place, Brandt Holdings, and Nine Dragons/Slap Shot.

Brightly colored Hawaiian decorations and tents invited guests to gather and enjoy a luau lunch of barbecued pork sandwiches, baked potatoes and luscious pineapple at the 3rd annual “Go Hawaiian for Hospice” fundraiser on June 25. The weather was a beautiful sunny 78 degrees and the community feeling was equally as warm. The back of one tent became the Norene Bunker memorial wall where all attendees were invited to remember and honor their deceased loved ones by writing names on paper hearts and adding them to the wall.

Besides the great food, members of the FM RedHawks team joined the festivities as honored guests to talk with diners and play yard games with kids. Also joining them was baseball legend Maury Wills, former major league shortstop famous for his base-stealing ability, who currently serves as radio color commentator for the RedHawks.

This year’s “Go Hawaiian” event raised nearly $65,000 bringing the three-year total to more than $119,000. According to Beth Haseltine, assistant director of clinical operations for Hospice, “Events like this are crucial for our ability to serve the community.” Hospice of the Red River Valley is an independent, notfor-profit agency that has been serving patients and families in 29 counties in North Dakota and Minnesota since 1981. With attention to comfort care that alleviates pain and suffering, they enhance the quality of life for terminally ill patients and support families by addressing their medical, emotional, spiritual and grief needs. Hospice care is provided to anyone who meets the medical guidelines regardless of their ability to pay. Haseltine explained, “The types of services Hospice provides are costly and although we receive funding from Medicare, Medicaid and insurance, the support from fundraisers such as this makes it possible for us to continue to fulfill our mission.”

As Holtgard said, “It was a beautiful day and we had a great turnout. The food was wonderful and the support for Hospice could be felt all around. We’re proud of what we have accomplished in the first three years, and if we continue to set our sights high, honestly the future is unlimited.” [AWM]