By Mary-Justine Lanyon
The garden behind Mountains Community Hospital was bustling with conversation and activity on the evening of July 21. The occasion: The 30th Le Grand Picnic, the annual fundraiser put on by the Mountains Community Hospital Foundation.
The weather cooperated, with sunny skies and a gentle breeze that cooled off the guests, many of whom sported baseball jerseys in keeping with this year’s theme: Field of Dreams.
The evening began with guests cruising from booth to booth, sampling the wares of the participating food and beverage vendors.
Tom Bachman fills his plate at one of the Wicked Sausage booth.
The Wicked Sausage had three booths where they offered brats, hot dogs, pretzel bites, potato salad and cucumber salad. Folks would have been disappointed if Papagayos had not been there with their margaritas – they were and they were watermelon. Other beverages included Lake Arrowhead Brewing Co.’s beers, a Jack Daniels-Cracker Jack cocktail from the Lakefront Tap Room and red and white wine from the Monte De Oro Winery.
The mini charcuterie cups from the UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge were a big hit with Heidi Nimmo and Jeffrey Spears.
The UCLA Lake Arrowhead Lodge offered mini charcuterie cups while Lake Arrowhead Country Club had a plethora of desserts, including fresh fruit. Guests lined up for the churros, cotton candy and sundaes from the Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa.
As they enjoyed the offerings of the purveyors, guests also carefully studied the silent auction items. Those who placed a bid in the gold box on the bid sheet were automatically entered into the drawing for a gold bar, donated by Neale and Patricia Perkins.
Four members of the California National Guard posted the colors.
At 6:30 p.m., four members of the California National Guard marched to the stage, carrying and posting the colors. The evening’s mistress of ceremonies, Robbin Nordsten, sang the national anthem and then kicked off the live auction under the direction of auctioneer Suzanne Cios Krainock.
Allison Banner kept bidding on the diamond arrowhead pendant. She didn’t win it but was told she raised the bid up an extra grand.
The first four items brought in a total of $30,000. There was enthusiastic bidding for the diamond arrowhead necklace, created and donated by Craig Aaron; it went for $3,200. A stay at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert with golf for four drew $2,000. Bidding was so frantic for a private dinner for 10 at the Monte De Oro Winery that Nordsten awarded the prize to three bidders at $4,600 each. And a seven-day stay at the Buenos Aires flat owned and donated by Joe Arredondo and Bob Stuhr also drew avid bidding and led to the awarding of two stays at $5,500 each.
Nordsten called the guests’ attention to the large screen behind the stage as tribute was paid to people who were an important part of MCH who had passed away in the past year: Cheryl Moxley-Harrison, Dr. Norton Marks, Dr. Elwood Cohen, Dennis Pettigrew and Ken McKay.
McKay’s partner, Rory Balmer, paid tribute to MCH and the care McKay received there. “Ken was cared for in the most amazing way,” Balmer said. “From the start it was evident Ken was in the right place.” Following a heart attack, McKay was taken by helicopter to Loma Linda, where doctors told Balmer MCH’s fast action had saved his life.
“MCH gave us an extra year with Ken,” Balmer said.
Before throwing the first pitch to Chris Dodd of the Crestline Highlanders, CEO Mark Turner talked about the need to replace equipment due to advancing technology.
“Your generosity will save lives,” Krainock said as she got the reverse auction started. MCH CEO Mark Turner had “thrown out” the first pitch after telling the picnic guests that “technology keeps advancing,” necessitating the purchase of improved equipment. MCH plans to replace its current ultrasound unit and add one to the emergency department.
Barry and Cheryl Robinson won the “most team spirit” award for their table, receiving wacky glasses and “thirst aid” hats.
The garden behind MCH was bustling with activity on the evening of July 21.
Krainock asked if anyone would like to start the bidding above her starting point of $25,000. Julie Atwood, acting as proxy for an anonymous donor, raised her paddle for a bid of $50,000. That was followed by a $25,000 bid from Neale Perkins, four $10,000 bids, four $5,000 bids and three $2,500 bids. A flurry of hand-shaped paddles was raised for $1,000, $500, $250 and $100. Totals raised by the reverse auction the silent auction were not available at press time.
Terri Montgomery and Nick Nerio scored golf for four at Bighorn Golf Club.
The live auction then resumed with an equity membership at the Lake Arrowhead Country Club drawing $4,500; a weeklong stay on Maui bringing $7,000; a golf package at Bighorn Golf Club, $1,600; and four tickets to a Dodgers game with food, drink and swag, $2,000.
Members of the Crestline Highlanders were the special guests at Le Grand Picnic.
Special guests at Le Grand Picnic were the members of the Crestline Highlanders, who play vintage base ball and have captured the championship in their league the past two years. The players were available to take photos with the guests.
The comment made by Perkins as he bid in the reverse auction sums up the event: “We need this hospital.”
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