Floyd County Medical Center hosts black-tie gala fundraiser

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Supporters of the Floyd County Medical Center donned their finest attire on Friday, Feb. 21, for an evening of fine dining and fundraising at the FCMC 60th Anniversary Gala.

Opening as Floyd County Memorial Hospital on Feb. 10, 1965, the hospital continues to offer health care to the area, providing emergency service and outpatient care at a level that is increasingly uncommon in rural communities.

“For the last 60 years, our mission has been to provide exceptional and professional health care,” said FCMC CEO Dawnett Willis. “That wouldn’t be possible without some of the people here tonight.”

Hosted at the Floyd County Fairgrounds, the gala began with a cocktail hour as guests socialized with drinks and appetizers.

As dinner was served, the crowd viewed a video showcasing the history of the hospital and heard from keynote speaker Dr. Angela VanGilder, who shared how she has enjoyed serving the community since returning to Iowa in 2017 to be a surgeon at FCMC.

“It really is a family and people take care of each other,” said VanGilder, who is also chief of medical staff. “It’s very, very rewarding. … To get that gratitude from the community has been amazing.”

Emceed by Kay Winkleman and Tad Barry, the rest of the evening was a night of fundraising as auctioneer Frank Fox auctioned off a selection of items including flight lessons from Charles City Aeronautics, vouchers for a special date night at Prologue Books and Wine, and a whole cheesecake made by Ginger’s Top Shelf, which catered the event.

While the live auction was going on, guests watched their bids on a silent auction as well, featuring a variety of gift bundles to compete for.

Guests got another chance to walk away with prizes with rounds of Black-Tie Bingo, provided by Farm Bureau Financial Services, which was one of 32 corporate sponsors supporting the evening event.

Funds raised during the gala will go toward supporting the expansion of FCMC’s services and future construction projects. Makenzie McNeill, FCMC’s marketing and communications director, stressed that though the hospital is currently in the process of a major expansion, that project has already been funded.

“This is for anything in the future after that,” said McNeill.

The black-tie fundraising gala is a first-of-its-kind event for the Medical Center, bringing together the community for a celebration of FCMC’s past while contributing to its future.

“It’s exceeded my expectations,” said McNeill, who has spent the better part of six months spearheading the organization of the event.

With roughly 225 attendees, McNeill said she was happy to see such a strong turnout and positive reception in support of the medical center.

“This is their local health care in their community,” said McNeill.