This year the Ellenville Regional Hospital Foundation will have their annual Gala & Silent Auction on October 3 at Honor's Haven starting at 6 p.m.

As is well-understood in southwest Ulster County, and nearby Sullivan County as well, Ellenville Regional Hospital is an essential part of the area. For the town of Wawarsing, as Phil Coombe, trustee on the foundation board, says, “It’s a gem, a real asset to the community.”

Indeed, Ellenville Regional is a nationally recognized, 25 bed critical access hospital known for award-winning rural healthcare, fast emergency room wait times, and innovative community health programs.

Coombe adds that the hospital employs 170 local people, a significant part of our economy. He also notes that “this is our last real fundraising event of the year, the big one. We have been holding this gala for fifty or sixty years, so it’s a local tradition. This is an opportunity for people to rally around the hospital and show support by coming to the event.”

To that point, a portion of the $170 ticket price to the gala is a charitable donation.

Poppy Cannon-Reese, another member of the Foundation Board, has been involved in organizing the evening. She writes, “Honor's Haven will be bringing their signature hospitality, with a wonderful menu, an open bar, and attentive service throughout the evening. Once dinner winds down, our own Hudson Valley band, Soul City Groove, will take the stage with live music to get everyone up and dancing.”

The honorees for the evening will be the Reverend Julius Collins and his wife Vernice, plus the three owners of Matthews Pharmacy: Laura Villegas, Paul Sommer, and Dan Matthews.

Cannon-Reese adds, people are welcome to show support for the hospital by becoming a booster for $25 or by listing their business in the brochure that is given to all attendees, for $75. Those who are interested in tickets or in advertising can reach her at pcannon-reese@erhny.org.