Charity Ball and Corvette Raffle to support enhancements at Mercer Health’s Childbirth Center
More than 400 guests attended the MED Foundation of Mercer Health’s 2024 Charity Ball, held Saturday, November 16, 2024. The annual formal event, held at Opulence Event Center, in Celina, featured an Opulence of India theme, complete with a cocktail social, a three-course meal and live entertainment. In conjunction with the Charity Ball, a 2025 Sebring Orange Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe was given away in the 10th annual 1,200 ticket reverse raffle. Ryan Evers of Fort Recovery, Ohio won the Corvette with ticket #624. Scott LaGuire of St. Henry was also a winner—as the first ticket drawn, he received a pair of Bose Bluetooth sunglasses plus a $100 gift card donated by iHeart Radio.
For the past 10 years, the funds raised from the Charity Ball and Corvette Raffle have been used to enhance healthcare at Mercer Health, including a $500,000 donation towards the Surgery Center in Mercer County Community Hospital’s West Wing Expansion that opened in October 2018. The new surgery center has grown from providing 2,599 surgeries in 2013 to 7,352 in 2023. This year’s proceeds, along with several previous years, will be put towards the renovation and expansion of Mercer Health’s Childbirth Center.
“The MED Foundation is so grateful for the community’s continued support,” Deb Hemmelgarn, MED Foundation Director and Event Chairperson, said. “The Mercer Health Charity Ball would not be possible without the continued support of our many generous sponsors.”
Sponsors for the 2024 Charity Ball included:
| Pearl Sponsor | Central Anesthesia Staffing Solutions |
| Diamond Sponsors | Dave and Danielle Buschur Community Sports and Therapy Center Orthopaedic Institute of Ohio Pleiman Landscaping and Willmann Dental Preferred Insurance Center Ray’s Refrigeration, Inc. Remer Family and Lakeshore Realtors Dr. Eric Seward The St. Henry Bank |
| Sapphire Sponsors | Ted & Diana Bertke Buschur Feeds and Leugers Insurance Agency The Messenger Press The Peoples Bank Co. William Siefring Farms John Spoltman Superior Credit Union |
| Emerald Sponsors | Drs. Amaran, Gutta, Kakarla and Vanan Dr. Mark Brown and Dr. Edward Hosbach Childbirth Center Nursing Staff Edward Jones – John Yoder Emergency Physicians Group and Grand Lake Eyecare EverHeart Hospice Four U Packaging and Supplies Garmann Miller HCF Management-Briarwood Village and Celina Manor Merle & Connie Hein Bill & Deb Hemmelgarn J. Ann Photography Roger & Lisa Klenke, CEO Terry & Cindy Liette Family Craig & Susan Miller Moeller Trucking Precision Drone Applicators The Puthoffs RB Advertising RCS Construction Recovery Sorting Aaron Siefring Farms Dr. Keith Snow Mark & Kathy Speelman |
| Bar Sponsor | St. Henry One Stop |
| Champagne Sponsor | Bella’s Italian Grille |
| Craft Brew Sponsor | Moeller Brew Barn Tailspin Brewing Co |
| Cocktail Social Sponsor | Wabash Mutual Telephone Company |
| Coffee Sponsor | Rooster Joe |
| Entertainment Sponsor | Hemmelgarn Benefits |
| Exclusive Cocktail Sponsor | The Anchor |
| Floral Sponsor | Floral Reflections |
| Hors d’Oeuvres Sponsor | Buschur Farms |
| Marketing Sponsor | Edward Jones – John Yoder |
| Photography Sponsor | Celina Eagles |
| Raffle Supervision Sponsor | Moorman, Harting & Company |
| Signature Gift Sponsor | Niswonger Performing Arts Center |
| Snack Bar Sponsor | The James Watson House |
| Valet Sponsor | Park National Bank |
| Supporting Sponsors | Borger’s Bicycles Dynamic Federal Credit Union Forty Nine Degrees/Signature 4 Hazelnut Coffeehouse Hemmelgarn Entertainment iHeart Radio Jellison Entertainment Mercer Health Volunteer Association Midwest Electric Pleiman Landscaping |
“The time and creativity of the Charity Ball committee is incredible and results in an amazing and unique experience for our guests each year, and this year is no different.” Hemmelgarn said. This year’s committee includes Ryan Bollenbacher, Leah Bruns, Danielle Buschur, Danielle Dues, Sara Harlamert, Connie Hein, Deb Hemmelgarn, Mindy Kremer, Jenni Miller, Danielle Otte, CJ Pence, Stacy Schwieterman, Brian Seitz, Dee Uhlenhake, Mandy Wendel, and John Yoder. A special thank you to this year’s theme consultants and honorary committee members, Vennila Amaran and Lakshmi Gutta.
The Charity Ball, reintroduced in 2015 to commemorate Mercer Health’s 65th anniversary, dates back to 1950. The original Charity Ball, orchestrated by the now disbanded Auxiliary of Mercer County Community Hospital, set a gold standard for local community social events while supporting the hospital. In its reincarnation, the Charity Ball, now coordinated by a committee of volunteers from the community led by Hemmelgarn, continues to support the local healthcare needs of the community.
The 2025 Mercer Health Charity Ball will be held on Saturday, November 15, 2025.
Annual MED Foundation Outstanding Friend of the Year Announced
The Friends of the Foundation are individuals, businesses and organizations who care about the health of the residents in our community and want to ensure the Mercer Health organization has the tools available to take care of our local healthcare needs by making annual donations. Each year the MED Foundation awards a friend of the year for their generosity and support of Mercer Health and the MED Foundation.
Hemmelgarn states, “Moorman, Harting and Company has been an integral part of the Corvette Raffle since the inception in 2015. It is an honor to award them with the 2024 MED Foundation Outstanding Friend of the Year.”
For more information on the MED Foundation of Mercer Health and how to support the future of healthcare services within our community, visit https://mercer-health.com/med-foundation/