Boone Memorial Health (BMH) is excited to announce its BMH60 Benefit Gala raised over $220,000 – the largest amount for a single fundraiser in BMH history – to support the BMH Foundation for Community Health.
Over 300 supporters joined on Saturday, April 27, at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center to commemorate BMH’s 60 years of service. The black-tie gala, themed “A Night to Shine Bright,” celebrated BMH’s Diamond Anniversary while showcasing its progress in improving access to care and the impact of the BMH Foundation.
“As we reflect upon the past 60 years, it is clear that our continued success as an organization is endowed by a community that accepts us, employees who choose us, a board of directors that empowers us and partners who support us,” says Virgil Underwood, BMH president and chief executive officer. “Looking to the next 60 years, BMH will continue its strategic expansion and innovation to broaden our services and extend our reach to underserved populations by bringing medicine home.”
Over 80 corporate and individual sponsors bolstered the gala’s success, including the generous contributions of presenting sponsor USI Insurance Services and fellow top-level sponsors, Boone Lodge No. 170, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Thornhill Auto Group/Thornhill Toyota.
Ray Harrell, BMH general counsel and chief external affairs officer, expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support from sponsors. “This event highlights the profound generosity and solidarity of our community and our partners,” he says. “Together, driven by the shared belief that your zip code should not determine your health, we look to lead a groundbreaking shift in the reduction of health disparities and improvement of lifestyle factors that directly contribute to the overall health of the communities we serve.”
Research demonstrates that up to 60% of health outcomes are determined by social determinants of health (SDoH), including economic stability, education access and quality, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment and social and community context. This led BMH to launch the BMH Foundation for Community Health in 2022 – a department of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit health system that is laser-focused on improving community health by addressing the SDoH.
Since its inception, the foundation has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial support to other non-profits and governmental entities to fund projects specifically designed to improve the SDoH; hosted hundreds of residents in community health education courses, free of charge and launched a multi-million-dollar Farmers Market and Greenhouse project, raising over $3 million in federal, state and private funding for construction.
The gala featured an evening of dining, dancing and entertainment by DJEJ and the Biehle Family String Ensemble, Monte Carlo games and a silent auction. All net proceeds will directly benefit the BMH Foundation for Community Health’s projects designed to transform community health outcomes through targeted initiatives.
For further information about the BMH Foundation for Community Health and upcoming events, please visit www.bmh.org.
About Boone Memorial Health
As one of the leading healthcare providers in southern West Virginia, Boone Memorial Health is bringing medicine home. Based in Madison, WV, Boone Memorial Health is a 501(c)(3) non-profit health system that serves patients primarily residing in Boone, Logan, Lincoln and southern Kanawha counties. BMH includes a critical access hospital with a 25-bed inpatient unit, Level IV Trauma Center and Black Lung Center; four rural health clinics and a specialty clinic; two outpatient pharmacies; a substance and mental health treatment program and the BMH Foundation for Community Health. In addition, BMH offers several specialty practices and ancillary services at our locations throughout Boone County. For more information, visit bmh.org
