Rex Healthcare Foundation Gala Raises Funds, Celebrates Cancer Survival
Posted: 11-23-2009 : RALEIGH, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. – More than 800 guests attended Rex Healthcare Foundation’s annual black tie fundraising Gala on Nov. 14, 2009, at the Raleigh Convention Center. The event raised nearly $247,000 in revenue through generous support from sponsors.

The Rex Healthcare Foundation is the nonprofit which raises funds for Rex Healthcare. Proceeds from the event benefit cancer programs and services at Rex Healthcare such as the Angel Fund and kidscan!, as well as other outreach activities.

The Rex Healthcare Foundation’s Angel Fund serves cancer patients with unique financial needs by funding transportation, living expenses and prescriptions as they cope with the hardships associated with their treatment.

Ron Hamner and Dave Goodall, co-founders of the all-female, Cary-based bike race Le Tour de Femme, presented a $25,000 check to the Rex Healthcare Foundation to benefit the Angel Fund. Le Tour de Femme has contributed to the Angel Fund for the last four years.

“The Angel Fund relies on donations from the community—it is ‘people helping people’ in the truest sense,” said Emily Barbour, Vice President and Chief Development Officer at the Rex Healthcare Foundation. “This extraordinary gift from Le Tour de Femme will go a long way in helping cancer patients through their treatment.”

Raleigh’s Terrence Holt, NFL star and co-founder of the Holt Foundation, also made a special donation presentation for $35,000 to support new initiatives in Rex’s kidscan! program. Kidscan! is a support group that provides educational and emotional support for the basic needs of children ages 6 to 12, whose parent has been diagnosed with cancer. The program offers a safe, nurturing place for children and their families to help understand the many elements of a cancer diagnosis and includes art, music, games, group discussions and more.

The funding for this unique program is supported by individual donors and generous grants from the Holt Foundation. The Holt Foundation is dedicated to sponsoring educational and support programs for children who have a parent with cancer.

Attendees at this year’s Gala enjoyed great food and fellowship, an extensive silent and live auction, personal stories from Rex patients and lively jazz entertainment. For more information, visit rexhealth.com.

About Rex Healthcare
Rex Healthcare, a member of UNC Health Care, is a private, not-for-profit health care system, with 4,600 employees. Rex Healthcare has 665-beds (433 general acute beds, six inpatient hospice and 226 skilled nursing) and treats more than 26,000 inpatients each year. Rex offers dedicated centers for women, cancer, post acute rehabilitation and skilled nursing care, heart and vascular, same-day surgery and wellness, plus dedicated clinics for pain management, heartburn, wound care, sleep disorders, diabetes education and state-of-the-art emergency services. Rex provides various health care services throughout Wake County with facilities in Cary, Apex, Garner, Wakefield and downtown Raleigh. Rex is also the first hospital in the Triangle, and one of only 10 in North Carolina, to receive Magnet Recognition, which places Rex nurses among the top two percent in the country. In 2008, Rex was listed as one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals® by Thomson Healthcare. Rex was also named a Top 100 Performance Improvement Leader by Thomson Reuters. For more information visit rexhealth.com.

About Rex Healthcare Foundation
The non-profit Rex Healthcare Foundation was founded in 1958 by a group of public-spirited citizens who wanted to fulfill a community need. The Rex Healthcare Foundation’s mission is to raise funds to support and enhance the programs and services of Rex Healthcare. The Foundation supports a variety of patient assistance programs, assists in upgrading facilities and acquiring the medical equipment necessary to continue excellent health care services. For more information about Rex Healthcare Foundation, call (919) 784-4424 or visit rexhealth.com.