LARNED — Pawnee Valley Community Hospital Foundation’s Second Annual Charity Gala, “Some Enchanted Evening” will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25, at the Larned Community Center.  A glimpse into this exquisite evening begins with the Social Hour at 5:45 p.m. followed by an elegant dinner served at 7 p.m.  
Following the evening meal, guests will vie for more than 75 live and silent auction items in support of the work the PVCH Foundation is able to provide through the generous support of their donors.
After lively banter during the auction, guests will dance the night away to the musical stylings of “The Blades,” one of Salina’s favorite bands. The nine-piece band features great vocals, horns, keyboards, guitar and percussion as they play the sounds of the 1960s through the 1990s.
“Our Foundation Gala Committee is made up of 20 exceptional ladies who have been working on this event since the first of the year,” said Linda Henderson, Foundation director.  “Each year we challenge committee to bring the ‘wow’ to every area of the event and they are certainly meeting that challenge. From the decorations to the entertainment, I guarantee this is one event you won’t want to miss!”
Last year’s Charity Gala was a sold-out event with 287 people attending. The Foundation Trustees voted to limit the number of seats to 250 this year.  
Tickets for the Charity Gala are $100 per person.  Anyone is welcome to attend the event and can purchase their seats for the event at the PVCH Foundation Office at 923 Carroll Street, Larned.  
“Last year there was some confusion with individuals thinking they had to receive an invitation to attend,” said Henderson.  “That simply isn’t so. We want to remind people that there is limited seating available and all reservations are made with payment.”  
Proceeds from the event will go towards the purchase of a new in-house MRI at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital.  Currently an MRI is only available to patients once a week via a mobile unit at PVCH.  
By having an MRI in-house PVCH can offer their patients more service days and hours while also giving them a better in-house experience during their scan.  This in turn means better healthcare for PVCH’s patients and communities that they serve.
An MRI is used to detect a variety of conditions, including problems of the brain, spinal cord, skeleton, chest, lungs, abdomen, pelvis, wrists, hands, ankles and feet. The MRI is particularly valuable for diagnosing problems with the eyes, ears, heart and circulatory system. Currently the MRI at PVCH is only available to patients once a week via a mobile unit.
An in-house MRI will run upwards of $1 million, plus the costs to outfit the room for this specialized piece of equipment.
This year’s Charity Gala features VIP sponsor Hays Medical Center.  Platinum Level sponsors include Country Living of Larned, Haynes Electric Inc., Innovative Livestock Services, Inc./Ward Feed Yard and Pawnee Valley Community Hospital.  Gold Level Sponsor is First State Bank & Trust Company.  
Additional Charity Gala Sponsors will be featured during the Charity Gala celebration.  
Last year’s Charity Gala, “An Evening Among The Stars” netted $70,000 which was earmarked by the Trustees for the funding of an in-house MRI at Pawnee Valley Community Hospital. The amount was doubled to $140,000, due to the generosity of an anonymous donor who did a match for all donations given to fund the MRI.
“The money raised by the generosity of our donors and sponsors through the Charity Gala certainly gets us one step closer to acquiring an MRI at PVCH,” said Henderson. “The amount plus the $100,000 donated by the Community Hospital Committee, and then doubled by our generous donor is inching us closer to being able to serve the patients of PVCH with a higher quality of healthcare. In the same light, we are still seeking donations to help us reach our goal, and of course all donations for the MRI will double in value when they are given.”
The Charity Gala was orchestrated by a talented twelve member committee of ladies who created an evening of glamour and sophistication for the guests attending the event.
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