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Colorthon fundraiser benefits Lompoc Hospital District Foundation KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOSParticipants of the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation Colorthon 5K start the run at the Mission Club in Lompoc on Saturday.
On Saturday, 350 people, 50 more than last year, participated in the Colorthon fundraiser for the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation at the Mission Club Golf Course in Vandenberg Village.
“It’s beautiful we had a great turnout,” said foundation President Alice Milligan. “It’s a beautiful day at the country club. People are having a great time enjoying it. They are being sprayed with color and loving it. We even had people bring kids in strollers.”
“It went great. We had a big turnout. There were people showing up late for walk-ins. It was fun. We had a bunch of staff volunteering. It was a good time,” Aaron Poirier, Director of Rehabilitation Services for Lompoc Valley Medical Center (LVMC), told the News-Press.
The popular family-friendly fundraising event kicked off at 9 a.m. with a huge spray of color (dyed cornstarch) that coated the shirts of participants. Registrations and dozens of sponsorships from local individuals and businesses helped the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation meet its initial fundraising goal. While final tallies are not yet in, the event raised more than $30,000, according to Ms. Milligan.
A participant is sprayed with color during the Lompoc Hospital District Foundation Colorthon 5K at the Mission Club in Lompoc on Saturday.During the Colorthon’s 5K event, participants walked and ran throughout the stunningly landscaped Mission Club course, stopping at six predetermined color stations to get coated in an array of vibrant colors.
“Everyone was laughing and having a good time with a lot of Lompoc staff helping out. There was a Zumba warmup beforehand and people were enjoying getting outside, moving their body, getting activity in and supporting a good foundation,” said Mr. Poirier.
The proceeds will be used to purchase new equipment and materials for the Rehabilitation Services Department serving LVMC, the Comprehensive Care Center and Lompoc Health, North H Center. The purchases of the new rehabilitative equipment and materials will drastically improve the department’s ability to care for patients of all functional levels effectively and efficiently.
“We are still finalizing things but the general theme is … to improve our ability to offer a functional environment for patients, especially at our skilled nursing facility. The main goal is to be able to improve our patients’ ability to mimic function in situations and improve our ability to provide good quality care for the community,” said Mr. Poirier.
The Lompoc Hospital District Foundation is celebrating its 32nd Anniversary.
“I think it ran extremely well from a planning standpoint. They do a great job with all the events put on. Everything is through and throughout. It is a great team with the foundation,” said Mr. Poirier.
“People are happy and laughing, we have music going and when they come off the course the kids and families are having a good time. It’s a wonderful experience watching people come off the course. It’s a happy day for families. This event is for families and we enjoy doing it. We like to do something involving everyone in the community which is why we do this,” said Ms. Milligan.
In addition to aiding medical services, the event also inspired some romance. A proposal took place at the finish line, where Michael Snider and Antonia Garule got engaged.
The Foundation is a non-profit public benefit organization incorporated September 12, 1990, with a goal of promoting health education in the community, raising funds to purchase critically needed technology or equipment and educating the public about the hospital’s services, facilities and programs.
Through its special events, Foundation members have raised $3.1 million, with a total fundraising effort of $9.6 million in the past more than quarter-century. The Foundation recently completed a $2 million capital campaign to pay for the renovation of rooms at the Comprehensive Care Center, the skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility run by Lompoc Valley Medical Center.
If you would like to donate, you can do so at https://lompocvmc.com/giving.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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