Nonprofit News

Winelover’s Auction Raises $ 200,000

Thunderbird Country Club was buzzing with excitement as 250 guests participated in the 3rd Annual WineLover’s Auction on February 17th.. The festivities included live and silent auctions for fine wines, adventure/travel packages, and rare finds that included jewelry and art. “We are very grateful for the support of the community and the event co-presenters, Desert Regional Medical Center JFK Memorial Hospital and Desert Oasis Healthcare,” said Doug Morin, CVVIM’s CEO. Community sponsors including Kaiser Permanente, Renova Energy, Palm Springs Airport Self Storage, One-West Bank, Solis Wealth Mangement and Jessup Auto Plaza also supported the event with Ste. Michelle Winery as the Premier Wine Sponsor.
Special guests for the evening included: Joe Gandolfo and Roy Pitkin, event co-chairs; Linda Evans, Mayor, City of La Quinta; Les Zendle, MD, President, Desert Healthcare District; Ron Auen, President, The Berger Foundation, and his wife Sherrie Auen, President, The Auen Foundation; and V. Manuel Perez, County Supervisor.
$200,000 net revenue will be used by CVVIM to provide health care at no charge for Coachella Valley residents who are uninsured or underinsured.
 The only clinic of its kind in the Valley, CVVIM provides primary care (family and internal medicine) as well as specialty services which include cardiology, gynecology, orthopedics, dermatology, ophthalmology, optometry and neurology. In addition, the clinic assumes all associated costs necessary for diagnosis and treatment of illness such as laboratory tests, imaging, and x-rays.
 “Proceeds from the event will be used to support CVVIM’s operations and programs, including direct patient care, education, case management services, and homeless medical outreach,” explained Morin. “As a 501(c)(3) organization, CVVIM has only four paid positions and must rely on the community to help support our mission. In 2017, 100 doctors, dentists, nurses and allied health professionals as well as clerical volunteers donated 10,000 hours to CVVIM, helping us to accommodate more than 4,500 patient contacts. Since its opening in 2010, the clinic has had 30,000 patient visits.”
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