CARBONDALE, PA — The Wayne Memorial Hospital Auxiliary (the Auxiliary) will hold its first major spring gala, titled “Boots and Bling,” on Saturday, April 20 at the Anthracite Center on Main Street. 

It will be the auxiliary’s biggest social and fundraising event of the year. Music and entertainment will be provided by Eric Rudy/Acoustic and DJ Billy.

“The Wayne Memorial Hospital Auxiliary had a very popular winter event for years—the Mistletoe Ball,” said gala co-chair Melissa Rickard. It was canceled several times because of the pandemic. “Many people asked us for its return. Boots & Bling is our answer, and the weather is far more likely to cooperate in April than it does in January. We’re hoping for a big crowd,” she said.

Boots & Bling is offering theme-related sponsorships, called after horses—Arabian, Mustang and Appaloosa level, to name just a few.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the hospital’s Second Century Fund, to which the auxiliary has pledged $600,000. The fund was created to help recruit providers, purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment, implement diagnostic technologies and employ advanced patient care information technologies—all of which the fund has been supporting since its launch in 2018. 

Since that time, Wayne Memorial has hired four new specialists in urology, gastroenterology and nephrology.

“Our goal is to support the hospital in its mission to provide the best care possible for our community,” said Michelle Corrigan, gala co-chair and auxiliary vice president.

Tickets cost $85 per person for the event and can be purchased by calling Joan Buehl at 570/226-9750.

For sponsorships, call Corrigan at 570/983-7950 or Rickard at 570/352-7370.