Canine Christmas
AIDS exhibit
Cold weather arrives
Music event will benefit base's care programs
Monday, April 16, 2007
A fund-raiser will be held April 28 to support the operation of two compassionate care facilities at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, where military families can stay while a loved one is undergoing treatment at the medical center.
The event — which carries the theme "A Rockin' American Bandstand" — starts at 6 p.m. at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force and will feature 1950s, 60's and 70's dance tunes spun by a disc jockey.
Extras
There will be live and silent auctions and bistro food stations by base chef David Glynn. Retired Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier will serve as master of ceremonies.
Tickets are $60 per person, with $35 of the cost tax deductible. The registration deadline is Thursday.
Chris Stanley, executive director of Fisher/Nightingale Houses Inc., a nonprofit organization that runs the Fisher and Nightingale Houses, said 100 percent of the proceeds will benefit the facilities.
When the Nightingale House was established in 1990, it was the first compassionate-care facility in the Department of Defense. It is a converted duplex built as base housing.
Fisher House opened in 1994 because the house's capacity was being exceeded regularly, Stanley said. The medical center is the Air Force's second largest treatment facility.
"We still run near capacity in both houses," he said of the facilities which offer a combined space of 17 bedrooms. The average stay is 11 days but some retired, active and reserve duty military families have stayed there for as long as a year.
Though located on the military base, the facilities are not operated with taxpayer dollars.
"We're just like Ronald McDonald Houses," Stanley said.
Last year's fundraiser brought in $54,000 and organizers of the April 28 event hope to match or top that.
The auctions feature more than 100 items donated by individuals or corporations in the community, ranging from an orientation flight on the Wright "B" Flyer, entertainment tickets, sports tickets, jewelry and artwork.
For more ticket information, call Stanley at (937) 672-8724 or go to www.fnhi.org and click on fundraisers. You can print out the 2007 An All-American Evening RSVP and mail it in, said Stanley, noting that tickets will not be available at the door.
