By: Erin Smith
Bladen We Care has announced the dates for their annual fundraisers. The Bladen We Care Gala will take place on Friday, April 8, at The Venue at White Lake and the Byron H. Gooden Golf Tournament will take place on Thursday, April 21, at Vineyard Golf at White Lake.
“Last year we had more than 300 people in attendance at the Gala,” said Mac Campbell. “Tickets for the Gala are now being printed and they will go on sale in March.”
The chairman for the Gala will be Heather Tart. Campbell said Tart is working hard on preparing for the Gala and an announcement will be coming soon about the theme for this year’s Gala.
Campbell said the Byron H. Gooden Golf Tournament will be played on Thursday, April 21, at Vineyard Golf located on US 701 at White Lake.
“Last year we had 232 golfers participate. It was one of the largest groups we have had,” said Campbell.
He added that Bill Augustine and the staff at Vineyard Golf have been working throughout the past year on the golf course.
“They were gracious to host us,” said Campbell.
When asked about Bladen We Care’s year in 2015, Campbell thought for a moment and then began to recount the year. He said that the organization was able to provide $50,000 in institutional grants to Bladen Crisis Assistance, the Bladen Baptist Association, Elizabethtown Middle School for a project dealing with student health, the Paul R. Brown Leadership academy for a project dealing with student health, and Cape Fear Valley Hospital.
Campbell said that the group didn’t stop there. He said Bladen We Care has endowed a health teaching position at Bladen Community College as well as contributing money for a scholarship for the nursing program at the school.
Campbell said the group also did 240 patient grants that included assisting in paying for prescription drugs when the patient was unable to afford them.
Bladen We Care also assisted patients with 40 utility grants. Campbell said those grants were made to folks with terminal illnesses who were faced with the potential loss of their utilities due to financial hardships.
Other items Bladen We Care has also assisted folks with dental care, glasses, travel to hospitals for treatments, and medical equipment.
Thus far, in 2016, Bladen We Care has assisted 19 patients with $3,700 in grants.
Campbell said the group got its start in March 1989 when he and several others were alerted to a situation where a person did not qualify for assistance and was in need. Campbell each one handed out the person and as they got together one day and were discussing the patient’s situation.
Campbell that following that discussion, Bladen We Care was born. He said originally, the group worked mainly with Hospice patients, but as they became of more and more needs, Campbell said the group decided to tackle the problem themselves.
He said the only requirement to receive assistance from Bladen We Care is to reside in Bladen County. Campbell said all of the funds raised are used to assist the patients on a case-by-case basis.
“Over the 27 years, we have raised and spent more than $1 million,” said Campbell.
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