This photograph from the January 25, 2001 issue of The River Reporter shows celebrants at the 60th annual Mistletoe Ball, organized by the Wayne Memorial Hospital Auxiliary at The Waterfront at Ehrhardt’s. About 140 guests attended, enjoying a buffet and dancing to the Northern Lights Band.

The annual fundraiser garnered $6,000 in 2001; those funds were used for the purchase of an echocardiography ultrasound machine for the hospital. This year’s 2018 ball was held on Saturday, January 20 at Silver Birches in Tafton; according to organizers the preliminary estimate of funds raised is about $25,000, which will go toward the purchase of a new, state-of-the-art nurse call system for the new addition currently under construction at the hospital. The call system will have “intelligent call routing,” according to hospital administrators, enhancing direct patient-staff communications and eliminating wasted time and effort.