Howard Community Healthcare Foundation Receives $350,000 from a Federal Appropriation
Willits, CA January 29, 2010 – U.S. Representative Mike Thompson’s office announced that the Howard Community Healthcare Foundation (HCHF) has received a $350,000 federal appropriation that will be used to offset construction expenses for the new Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital & Healthcare Campus. The allocation is among a larger federal disbursement and is part of an omnibus package combining multiple appropriations bills.
This marks the second year in a row that the HCHF has received appropriations funding bringing the total amount received to $538,100. All funds will go directly to the Hospital Building Fund. These monies are part of the federal government’s effort to invest in the nation’s future.
HCHF’s primary focus is the receiving of funds raised for the new hospital facility. These funds are separate from the general operating budget of the Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital and the Frank R. Howard Foundation. HCHF is the fund-receiving arm for the new hospital facility.
“The recent events in Haiti, and closer to home in Eureka, should serve as a reminder of how important preparedness is when dealing with earthquakes,” said Congressman Thompson. “This funding will be used to help the hospital meet California’s seismic compliance requirements and enable the hospital to continue providing access to health care services in Mendocino County. We need to continue to invest in our infrastructure, not only to prepare us for the worst, but also to create good jobs and ensure that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.”
Margie Handley, President of the Howard Foundation states, “We are extremely grateful to Congressman Thompson and his entire staff for their help in securing federal dollars for our project.” Fund Development Coordinator for the HCHF, Ian Fitzpatrick explains, “We are submitting another application for the next round of appropriations and we are hopeful for another positive outcome. In addition, we have been monitoring the disbursement of dollars from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) as we feel the new hospital campus falls within the requirements for funding.”
Seabiscuit’s Legacy Art Auction and Benefit
The Seabiscuit Heritage and The Frank R.Howard Foundation Present:
Seabiscuit’s Legacy ART EXHIBITION & BENEFIT AUCTION
The Seabiscuit Legacy Art Exhibition and Auction, a benefit for Seabiscuit Heritage and Howard Foundation in celebration of fine art and the legendary racehorse Seabiscuit – scheduled on May 22, 2010 at the champion’s home, Ridgewood Ranch, Willits, California.
Willits, CA, January 14, 2010 — The Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation and The Frank R. Howard Foundation with the support of the Arts Council of Mendocino, launches a call to artists to participate in a premiere art event scheduled on May 22, 2010. ‘May the World Never Forget the Magnificent Seabiscuit.’
Seabiscuit’s Legacy art exhibit and benefit auction will feature art depicting the legacy of the Great American horse racing icon in a variety of styles and media. More than 500 community artists have been invited to participate and their work will be featured at a silent and live auction to help raise money for the new Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital Building Fund and the preservation efforts of the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation. Many of the historic buildings built by Seabiscuit’s owner, and founding donor of Howard Memorial Hospital, C.S. Howard, still remain and are in urgent need of repair. The Howard Foundation is raising funds for a new state-of-the art hospital in Willits.
“The theme is Seabiscuit’s Legacy,” says Jacqueline Cooper, a representative of the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation. “Artwork, will include, but is not limited to an equestrian theme. Works can include the paintings of the oak woodlands, old-growth Redwood groves, and the landscapes that constitute Seabiscuit’s legacy. Seabiscuit’s stud barn, Howard Memorial Hospital and other historic structures in our community would be very appropriate.”
Each participating individual is invited to create their impression of the horses’ legacy, with approximately four months to create their personal interpretation. There are two categories of participation: Seabiscuit’s Legacy or other select, finished artworks artists may wish to contribute.
Participation in the Seabiscuit Art Exhibit & Benefit Auction will include work from members of the Arts Council of Mendocino County. Community artists are especially encouraged to participate. There is no entry fee, but those who wish to be included, are invited to return their artworks to the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation Office by the submission deadline of May 7. Those participating have the option to retain a commission of the auction price or donate the full proceeds to the event. For more information or to request an artist’s contract, contact seabiscuit@instawave.net or call 707 459-5992.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation to honor our shared history,” says Ian Fitzpatrick of the Frank R. Howard Foundation. “We also look forward to collaborating with Mendocino County artists to put on an outstanding event where all parties benefit.”
Special thanks to Anna Kvinsland, Executive Director of the Arts Council of Mendocino County and Gary Martin, Director of the Willits Chapter for their guidance and support with this project.
The Seabiscuit Heritage and the Howard Foundation will host the Art Exhibit, Dinner & Benefit Auction on Saturday, May 22 from 6:00pm – 9:30pm at Ridgewood Ranch in Willits. This event is by reservation only and will feature live music, dinner and refreshments. The general public can purchase tickets in advance for the Seabiscuit Art Show & Benefit Auction by contacting 707-459-5992 or seabiscuit@instawave.net for more information.
COMMONWEALTH Gardens Update
As 2009 comes to a close, we’d would like to take this opportunity to report on what has been accomplished at the garden site to date: Fencing around the entire 8-acre garden site,drilling and development of a solar well, an 8 x 10 ft. pumphouse (will also serve as tool storage shed), orchard planted (over 50 fruit and nut trees in addition to several types ofberries), and cover crop seed planted (the day before the first good rainfall).
A heartfelt thank you goes to Brian and Ellen Bartholomew who donated the seed to cover the 3+ acre vegetable planting area, and to John Ford and Brian Shuster who allowed us to use the seeder (John.s) and tractor (Brian.s). Many thanks go to those for their kind donations: Sanhedrin Nursery, Cold CreekCompost, Sparetime Supply, Kathryn Green, Keith Johnson, John Schadeck, Roy Branson, Chamberlain CreekWork Crew, those who continue to send in monetary doantions, and to the many volunteers who gave of their time planting and watering the orchard.
Where to from here? Next season we.ll focus on building more garden infrastructure (irrigation system, greenhouse, pathways, gazebo), as well as continue to build soil fertility by continuing to plant additional cover crops.
If you would like to volunteer materials, time, etc., to COMMONWEALTH Gardens, you can reach Ananda Johnson at 707 459-2777. It is always deeply appreciated and very much needed.
Mendo Lake Credit Union and Mendo Mill Team Up
One of the reasons that our community is so special is that our local businesses always step up to help.
Even in tough times.
Mendo Mill and Mendo Lake Credit Union have teamed up for a holiday charitable campaign. North County residents who contribute $10 or more to Mendocino County charities between now and Christmas Eve will receive a $10 gift card from Mendo Mill. Bring in the receipt from your charitable donation to any Mendo Mill store. Cashiers will issue a free $10 gift card, no purchase necessary, limit one card per individual.
For more details click here:
Many folks are using the gift card as gift for the holidays as a stocking stuffer or donating them back to another charity that could use supplies from Mendo Mill. This is an effective way to leverage your charitable dollars.
If you choose the Howard Foundation as your charity then you can make a secure donation online (print your receipt and give to Mendo Mill) or give us a call. Keep your eyes open for other fundraising possibilities.
Thanks to Mendo Mill and Mendo Lake Credit Union for working together on behalf of our community!
Thank you for your continued support.
Wine and Mushroom Train Success!
On Saturday, November 7th, the Frank R. Howard Foundation hosted the Wine & Mushroom Train, which was the headline event for the 2009 Mendocino County Wine & Mushroom Fest running November 6-15, 2009. More than 150 patrons were aboard the Skunk Train for a majestic trip through the redwoods to Camp Mendocino. The event was a great success with proceeds going directly to the Howard Hospital Building Fund and was a collaboration of many organizations working together to achieve results that benefited everyone involved.
Guests began arriving at the Willits Skunk Train Depot at 9 am and were treated to an array of coffee, tea and pastries from Kemmy’s Katering and Pies. The Skunk Train, which donated the use of the train for the day, departed at 10:30 am and headed deep into the heart of the redwoods. Train Singer, Greg Schindel, serenaded guests as they moved from car to car, including the observation deck where they were able to take in the beautiful autumn day. Upon arrival at Camp Mendocino, an intimate room with a fireplace ablaze, hosted the silent auction and wine tasting served by several Mendocino County Wineries that included: Chance Creek Vineyards, CORO Mendocino, Dunnewood Vineyards, Handley Cellars, Jaxon Keys Winery, Magnanimus Wine Group, McFadden Vineyard, Parducci Wine Cellars, and Weibel Family Vineyards & Winery.
The lunch menu, which was inspired by Chef and Author Jack Czarnecki, was prepared and served by Chef Oscar of the Phantom Café. During lunch, guests were treated to live music provided by “The Bassics”, along with messages from Foundation President, Margie Handley, local mushroom expert Eric Schramm, Dr. Bruce Andich and Jack Czarnecki.
An all-volunteer committee planned and executed the event from beginning to end. Brenda Orenstein, Cassandra Andich, Karine Bennett, Ananda Johnson, Margie Handley, Jann Lamprich, Erin Fitzpatrick and Joyce Beard made sure that everything flowed as smoothly as possible. Another team of volunteers helped to ensure that all guests were taken care of on the day of and consisted of Patsy Broeske, Dona Fridae, Kristen Meadows, Ginny Holmen, Jennifer Ramming, Holly Madrigal, Emily Rose Hennings, Wendy Walsh, Maureen Moore, Gary Martin and Chuck and Carol Jones. Steve Eberhard volunteered his time to take pictures that will be used for future publicity. The staff at Camp Mendocino bent over backwards to make sure that all needs were met on site. The Wineries involved had the opportunity to show why Mendocino County Wines quality reputation continues to grow. Visit Mendocino County, Inc and the Mendocino County Lodging Association provided funds that were used to underwrite many of the expenses associated.
“We are very pleased to have been able to work with so many different organizations from Mendocino County and we feel that everyone was able to benefit by working together. In addition to many local people we had attendees from places as far as Canada, Oregon, Florida and Washington, DC. We were able to tell the story of the new Howard Hospital to a wider audience and succeeded in expanding our donor base,” explains Ian Fitzpatrick of the Howard Foundation. “We’d like to thank all of the people and organizations that participated in the event, and we would especially like to thank our guests who chose to spend the day with us.”
For complete details on the festival please vist GoMendo.com
Thank You!
The Frank R. Howard Foundation’s Signature Event “Down the Home Stretch” was a great success. On October 10th, the Willits Community Center was transformed into an elegant venue where all guests were able to enjoy a classy event. This lovely fall evening had it all…a live and silent auction, wines, ales, sparkling ciders, tapas-style appetizers, music, dancing and an opportunity to offer support for the new hospital. The event would not have been possible without the work of a group of committed volunteers.
We’d like to thank committee chair Linda Buletti, along with her team, Donna Stropes, Roxanne Lemos-Neese, Linda McEntire, Gail Richards, Ginny Holmen, Judy Donaldson, Jolene Carrillo, Louise Holsten, Dona Fridae and Gary Martin as they organized the event from beginning to end. This committed group of people put in countless hours of time and energy to make the evening possible. A big thank you also goes to our sponsors who helped underwrite much of the expense associated with the event: Sparetime Supply, Howard Memorial Hospital, Adventist Health and Northern Aggregates/Mendocino Construction Services.
The food was an absolute delight and was provided by Kilkenny’s Kitchen along with local preparers, Ann Alumbaugh, Dana Lewis, Dorothy Roediger, Kathryn Sterngold, Linda Relin, Sulin Bell, Hellagood Desserts, Kathleen Lewis and Howard Memorial Hospital. The evening’s entertainment provided by The Bassics was timeless. Thanks also to Hal Wagenet of Modern Music Sound Services for providing sound and lighting, The Shifters for helping with parking, Ron Greystar Photography for taking such amazing photos, our auctioneer Voris Brumfield who did a fantastic job with our live auction and to the staff at the City of Willits who provided remarkable support. We are also grateful to the dozens of volunteers, local businesses and wineries that made valuable contributions of time, money and merchandise that made the event a success.
Last, but certainly not least, thank you to all the members of our community as you continue to keep the dream alive with your unwavering support. Here at the Howard Foundation, we are extremely grateful and we can’t wait to celebrate together when we cut the ribbon for the new Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital!
Welcome!
Welcome to the Howard Foundation’s Blog!
We have recently upgraded our website and we’re are excited about the ability to keep people informed of our progress toward creating the first rural green, or LEED certified Hospital, in the United States.
Please feel free to take a tour of our site. We will be adding additional content including videos, pictures and relevant articles. We feel that we have a compelling story and we are excited to have the opportunity to share this story to a wider audience.
In an attempt at more transparency, we intend to use this blog to provide updates on events, fund raising progress and other pertinent information regarding the new hospital. We understand that our donors and supporters are hungry for information and feel that we can create a win-win situation. Donors can get a better idea of how their donations are being utilized and by providing more updates we will attract more donations and support.
For example, the House of Representatives recently passed a bill which included $350,000 for the new hospital.
http://www.mcdmag.com/component/content/article/117-news/99-federal-bill-provides-350000-for-ca-hospital.html
You can help us by forwarding our site to others that you think would be interested in learning more about the Howard Foundation and the new Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital and Healthcare Campus. Join us on Facebook by becoming a fan of the Frank R. Howard Foundation.
Thanks for taking this journey with us as this promises to be a lot of fun as we move forward with this vital community project.
