Annie Penn Hospital Foundation’s ‘An Enchanted Evening’ set for Dec. 6

By Miranda Baines

Published: November 27, 2008

Get ready for a holiday party for a good cause. Annie Penn Hospital Foundation is gearing up for its 15th Annual Holiday Gala, “An Enchanted Evening,“ at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Pennrose Park Country Club.

“It always feels like the kickoff of the holiday season,“ said Susan Shumaker, president of Annie Penn and executive vice president of the Moses Cone Health System.

Stokes Ann Hunt, co-chair of the foundation’s special events committee, called the holiday gala a “lovely, lovely event.“ The gala has been such a success for so many years the hospital hasn’t tried to do any other major fundraisers.

“The community has always stepped up and helped us,“ she said. The levels of sponsorship for this year’s holiday gala are platinum - a $1,000 contribution - gold at $750, silver at $500 and bronze at $250. Individual tickets are $50.

Each year, the proceeds from the gala go to a different cause at the hospital, this year benefiting the Annie Penn Cancer Center.

“We have high incidences of cancer in this county,“ said Shumaker. She said that Annie Penn Hospital has a lot of patients from Greensboro and the surrounding areas who see Dr. Eric Neijstrom, an oncologist. His peers voted him in the top 5 percent of oncologists in North Carolina.

Darlene Daniel, foundation assistant for Annie Penn Hospital, said different departments at the hospital have various needs each year. One of the foundation’s major roles is supporting hospital departments in need. Each year, the departments fill out a grant application, and the foundation votes on the amount of money that will go to the various hospital departments in the coming year. Some of the foundation’s approved grant requests in recent years include a fetal monitor, a surgical services video information system, a respiratory therapy ventilator and a laser for ophthalmology procedures.

Not only does the holiday gala raise money for the hospital, but it also provides fun holiday entertainment for attendees.

“A lot of people refer to it as the premiere event for Reidsville,“ said Daniel.

The black-tie-optional event will include dancing, an open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres. The gala will showcase the Scott Adair Band of Greensboro, featuring the vocal talents of Ginger Waynick, public information officer for Rockingham County. Since it is the 15th year of the holiday gala, event coordinators are using silver and crystal decorations. The platinum sponsors will be served champagne in souvenir crystal flutes.

Fred Timper, Annie Penn Hospital board member and co-chair of the foundation’s special events committee, recalls the first two Annie Penn holiday galas, which were held at the Rockingham Theatre in downtown Reidsville. The hospital’s first holiday gala was a showing of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.“ At that time, attendees had the option of taking horse and carriage rides through downtown.

For more information about the Annie Penn Hospital Foundation’s 15th Annual Holiday Gala or to reserve a ticket, call Darlene Daniel at 951-4595.

• Staff writer Miranda Baines can be reached at or 349-4331, ext. 35.