By JAN GODWIN

Memorial Hospital and Manor

“The Memorial Hospital Foundation’s First Annual Derby Night was a big hit for its patrons and the Foundation,” said Foundation Chair Vicki Bailey. After expenses were paid for the April 14 event, the Foundation realized a net profit of more than $30,000, which will be used for expansion of the digital mammography suite at the hospital and for capital equipment purchases.

Contributions for the Foundation were made through Derby ticket purchases and through silent auction and live auction items. All proceeds from the auction and ticket sales will fund the expansion of the hospital’s mammography suite to make room for a new digital mammography unit. Proceeds for the Derby will also be used for the purchase of an Achilles Bone Ultrasonometer for osteoporosis screenings at health fairs.

Hospital Authority Chairman Charles Tyson served as auctioneer for the live auction. Live auction items included a handcrafted five-piece bedroom furniture set donated by Chip Hall and HCW Incorporated; a sapphire and diamond bracelet, 18 karat white gold antique reproduction, set with 1 carat total diamond weight and 3.20 carats total genuine sapphire weight, donated by Godwin Jewelers; a one week Smoky Mountain vacation in a five-bedroom, three-bath house nestled in the mountains of the Green River Gorge in Saluda, N.C., compliments of Ken and Vicki Bailey; a gourmet roasted duck dinner for 10 at Brentwood Plantation, compliments of Crave (Lori Shiver) and Brentwood Plantation (Woody and Cile Warr); a half-day quail hunt at SouthWind Plantation for four people, with breakfast and lunch, compliments of Tim and Carla Smith; and a half-day deep sea fishing trip out of Mexico Beach, Fla., for four to five guests, donated by Zach Childs of 98 Real Estate Group and Steve Newman of Big Fish Construction, Mexico Beach, Fla.

Almost 50 silent auction items for everything from art to antiques, portraits to parties, facials to food, and hunting trips and home décor also received generous donations to benefit the Memorial Hospital and Manor Foundation.

In addition to betting on video horse races with “funny money,” Derby patrons also enjoyed a ladies’ hat contest. Winners of the hat contest were Diana Kirbo, Melanie Posey and Beverly Shirley. Joellyn Lott was the winner of an iPad donated by Todd and Erica Martin, State Farm Insurance.

The Memorial Hospital Foundation sponsored a Gala for 10 years, which raised more than $900,000 for the Foundation to fund special equipment purchases for the hospital. Plans are already being made for next year’s Derby Night to be bigger and better.