BY BRENDA BOUSER

Special to The Pilot

The organization now known as the FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Auxiliary is almost as old as the hospital it has supported for 78 years. Founded in 1930, it was one of the first groups of its kind in North Carolina.

For most of its nearly eight-decade history, the Auxiliary operated essentially independently, but with the organizational support of the Foundation of FirstHealth. That status changed about a year ago, and the Auxiliary now operates as an integrated entity under the Foundation's philanthropic umbrella.

"The fact that the FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Auxiliary is now an entity of the Foundation of FirstHealth is a cause for celebration," says Fay Terry, the Auxiliary's current vice president and 2009 president. "The cordial relationship we have had for many years proved very beneficial for the Auxiliary, which has gratefully accepted clerical support, advice and encouragement from the Foundation. I think you could say we have always been a welcome guest, but becoming part of the family gives strong credence to both our history and our future."

Twenty-three local women founded the Moore Regional Auxiliary to serve the needs of the new hospital, its patients and the community. The hospital opened just after the stock market crash that ushered in the Great Depression, and it was struggling to stay afloat. Many people in Moore County could barely afford the necessities of everyday life, not to mention hospital care.

As an early group of physicians that included Dr. Clement Monroe and Dr. Michael Pishko worked to make the hospital a lasting reality, other members of the community played supporting roles.

"Among these were people like Mrs. Leonard Tufts and Mrs. Paul Dana, who gathered a group of women to talk about ways to help the fledgling Moore County Hospital during a time of severe economic adversity," Terry says. "To meet the most basic medical needs, the women delivered assistance to the community in a very direct way. This even included buying a dairy cow and chickens to lend to struggling families."

Early Auxiliary members also mended hospital linens and brought a station wagon to deliver groceries to poor families and to transport nurses between the hospital and the local hotel where they were housed. They raised money by operating a hospital canteen, and they started a gift shop that remains to this day a significant source of Auxiliary income.

The annual Auxiliary Holiday Ball, scheduled this year for Friday, Dec. 12, has been a highlight of the Christmas season for decades and is one of the most successful and eagerly anticipated fundraising projects in the Sandhills.

With the change to Foundation entity status, Rebecca Ainslie, director of the Foundation's Hospitality Services, became Auxiliary liaison and provides organizational support.

"The Foundation has for many years provided administrative support to the Auxiliary for the receiving and processing of donations and funds related to events, as well as database management and support for the Holiday Ball and annual membership campaign," she says. "The connection to the Foundation's philanthropic governance structure just made sense."

Terry calls Ainslie "an energetic and creative link who connects the Auxiliary to its new position within the structure of the Foundation of FirstHealth."

"It is through our connection with the Foundation that the Auxiliary will continue the same work it has always done," Terry says, "which is to be a cornerstone of the hospital and proudly work to help maintain the high quality of health care in our locality."

According to Ainslie, the change in the Auxiliary's status gave the group access to the Foundation's communications, investment and organizational resources, as well as a seat on its Board of Trustees. The position is now held by current Auxiliary President Tina Fasolak, but Terry will assume the role when she becomes Auxiliary president next year.

As the source of $3.8 million in donations to the hospital, the Auxiliary has given more money to Moore Regional than any other individual or organization. Another $1 million has been promised over the next several years in support of the Foundation's Stepping Stones Campaign to build a Heart Institute, Hospitality House and Hospice House.

The current emphasis, and the focus of the upcoming Holiday Ball, is on the Hospitality House.

"The Auxiliary is very committed to the planned Hospitality House, which will be built to serve the families and patients in need of a place of rest and time-out while remaining in close proximity to the hospital," Terry says. "Our future plans include not only financial support, but also some hands-on projects to help introduce this facility to the hearts and minds of those in our community seeking a rewarding community service opportunity."

About the 2008 MRH Auxiliary Holiday Ball

The 2008 FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Holiday Ball will be held Friday, Dec. 12, in the Grand Ballroom at Pinehurst's Carolina Hotel.

The evening will begin with cocktails at 7 p.m. followed by dinner and dancing at 8. Longtime FirstHealth supporters Howard and Mary Ellen Warren of Pinehurst are Ball chairs, and Auxiliary representatives Katherine Bumgarner and Roberta King are Ball coordinators.

Music will be provided by Big Swing and the Ballroom Blasters, an 11-piece band that plays everything from swing and ballroom to contemporary music. The band's repertoire ranges from Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra to the Rolling Stones, the Commodores and the Blues Brothers, to Usher, OutKast and Black Eyed Peas.

Aldena Frye Custom Floral Design is in charge of floral arrangements, and table favors will be provided by Cameron and Co., Pinehurst, Caroline Miller.

The focus of this year's Ball fundraising activity will be the FirstHealth Hospitality House, which will offer Moore Regional patients and families a place of sanctuary as they navigate hospital services, procedures and overnight admissions. To be located in FirstVillage, just across Memorial Drive from the hospital's main entrance, the Hospitality House will feature a residential environment that will allow patients or family members to leave the clinical setting for a period of peace and respite depending on their needs and personal situation.

Ball sponsorships range from $15,000 (which includes eight tickets) to $600 (which includes two tickets). The minimum level is Patron, which includes two tickets for $450 per couple or $225 for a single.

In addition, raffle tickets will be sold for $20 per ticket or six for $100. Prizes will include jewelry from Fiskin and Fiskin, Hawkins and Harkness and Gemma Gallery as well as Ben Owen pottery, a golf package for eight players on Pinehurst No. 8 and a half-day spa package from The Carolina.

Raffle tickets can be purchased prior to the Ball even by those who don't plan to attend the event. Ticket-holders do not have to be present to win.

The FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital Holiday Ball is a fundraiser, and anyone can attend. If you would like to receive an invitation to secure a reservation, call the Auxiliary at (910) 695-7502. For information on special rates at the Carolina Hotel for Ball-goers who would like to stay the night, call (800) 487-4653.

Brenda Bouser works for the corporate communications office of FirstHealth of the Carolinas.