CHELSEA, Mich. (April 15, 2019) – St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea announced that more than $600,000 has been pledged to date towards its 34th annual charity auction, Denim & Diamonds 2019, to be held on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 6 p.m. at Zingerman’s Cornman Farms in Dexter. Fundraising for the event remains ongoing and donations, big or small, are currently being accepted. Among the event’s major donors are The Helppie Family Charitable Foundation, Dudley and Dawn Holmes and Huron Valley Radiology.
“Each year, the outpouring of support we receive for the auction reminds us of how truly fortunate we are to live and work in Chelsea,” says Nancy Graebner, president and CEO of St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea. “We welcome the support of individuals and organizations from across the community as we work towards reaching our fundraising goal of $750,000. Taken together, auction donors can have a real and meaningful impact on the future health and well-being of their community.”
The 2019 auction will fund two identified needs that align with the hospital’s efforts to provide the highest clinical capabilities as well as promote health and wellness in the community. The first is to expand and enhance the hospital’s tree-lined scenic walking paths with additional routes, lighting and signage. This investment will help sustain the campus as a safe haven for fitness for staff, patients and their families, and the entire community. The second need identified is the purchase of an additional Digital Breast Tomosynthesis unit, a revolutionary 3-D screening and diagnostic tool that offers the latest in mammography to detect breast cancer in the earliest, most treatable stages.
The addition of a second Digital Breast Tomosynthesis unit at St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea’s Cancer Center is welcome news for both patients and clinicians. The cancer center enables local residents to receive a wide range of cancer treatments — from surgery to chemotherapy and radiation — all under one roof, close to home. Patients also have access to national research trials and, if needed, advanced minimally invasive technology at nearby St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, including Cyberknife® and the da Vinci® robot. In addition, St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea’s Cancer Center offers a variety of cancer classes, events, support groups and other specialty services.
“Our family is committed to the Chelsea community and to St. Joe’s,” said Dudley and Dawn Holmes. “Along with the support of many from across the community, we are ensuring that our local hospital has the resources it needs so that it can continue to offer excellent care.”
“Chelsea is a strong community that we are proud to call home,” said Richard and Leslie Helppie, co-founders of the Helppie Family Charitable Foundation. “Expanding the depth and breadth of best-in-class health care services locally is important to our quality of life. We are humbled to serve St. Joe’s joint venture hospital with Michigan Medicine. Denim and Diamonds is a special event that unites our residents in support of a health system that cares for so many in our community.”
“The community’s support for the auction will enable us to effectively prevent and treat breast cancer by providing us with the most advanced technology available,” said Sean Theisen, M.D. of Huron Valley Radiology and director of Radiology at St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea.
As of April 10, 2019, major sponsors for this year’s charity auction include:
Matching Challenge Sponsors
· Dudley and Dawn Holmes
Presenting Sponsors
· The Helppie Family Charitable Foundation – Richard and Leslie Helppie
· Huron Valley Radiology, PC
Diamond Sponsors
· Chelsea Rhone, LLC
· Peter and Patti Feeney
· Howdy and Carole E. Holmes
Sapphire Sponsors
· The Bob and Jan Lyons Foundation
· Chelsea State Bank
· Marc and Julianna Feeney
· Hamlin and Burton Liability Mgmt, Inc.
· Carole E. Holmes
· IBEW/NECA Local 252 Electricians
· Kasco, Inc.
· Timothy and Laurie Wadhams
Platinum Sponsors
· Michael and Suzi Coghlan
· Doors & Drawers / Chuck and Rose Manitz
· Emergency Physicians Medical Group, P.C.
· Nancy Graebner and Mark Sundling
· Hatch Stamping Company
· Huron Valley Physicians Association, PC
· IHA
· United Methodist Retirement Communities, Inc.
For more information on how to donate or reserve tickets to the auction, please call St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea’s Office of Development at 734-593-5356 or e-mail denimdiamondsauction@stjoeshealth.org.
