Dig out your bell bottoms and strings of beads for this year’s Le Grand Picnic, set for July 21 at the MCH Rose Garden, which raises funds to support Mountains Community Hospital.
The theme of the 28th annual event is “Let the Sunshine In.” This flower-powered picnic will be emceed by local celebrity, actress and recording artist Gloria Loring.
The event will feature food and drink from 16 local restaurants, unique auction items, a photo booth, music and a drawing for a gold coin valued at over $1,200.
Some of the funds raised at this year’s event will help fund the purchase of a new 3D mammography machine that combines multiple breast X-rays to create a three-dimensional picture of the breast. The cost of the machine is $350,000.
The hospital’s current machine is nearing its end of life and soon parts will not be available. According to the Mayo Clinic website, a 3D mammogram can:
• Reduce the need for follow-up imaging
• Detect slightly more cancers than a standard mammogram alone
• Improve breast cancer detection in dense breast tissue
MCH is also continuing to raise money for the Willerth Education Center to serve our community and hospital staff. The Willerth Education Center will be built on top of a parking structure that will be constructed in the tiered parking area near the medical office building.
The money raised at Le Grand Picnic, and throughout the year, enables MCH to purchase equipment that would not be possible with patient revenue alone. The community’s support is vital to the health of MCH and the mountain community.
Auction items are valued at more than $30,000. Included are a two-night stay at the Reisman avocado farm in Fillmore; brow perfection and more at Lake Arrowhead Brow and Beauty Bar; and a two-night stay at Club Donatello, a boutique hotel in San Francisco.
A gold bar valued at more than $1,200, donated by MCH Foundation board member Neale Perkins and his wife, Patricia, will be raffled off. The winner must be present.
Tickets to Le Grand Picnic are $80. Call Susie Stuart at (909) 436-3210 or buy them online at www.eventbrite.com/e/le-grand-picnic-2019-let-the-sunshine-in-tickets-60282558756.