Photo Credit: Kent West Photography
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Two-day event exceeds last year’s figures in fundraising, attendance and boat participation.
SAN DIEGO Sharp HospiceCare, Coronado Yacht Club and Cortez Racing Association hosted the Eighth Annual Sharp HospiceCare Benefit Regatta on Aug. 27 and 28, 2010. The event netted more than $210,000 — compared to $185,000 in 2009 — for Sharp HospiceCare’s Homes for Hospice campaign, an initiative to build hospice homes in San Diego.
Friday evening’s sell-out crowd at Hotel Del Coronado included 400 dinner guests, who were greeted with remarks from program emcee and 10News weather anchor, Pat Brown. On Saturday, the largest fleet of vessels in the event’s history took to San Diego Bay for the regatta, as nearly 60 sailboats competed to the delight of 325 attendees watching the race from aboard 25 host yachts.
“We at Sharp HospiceCare are truly grateful for the support and generosity we’ve received from the San Diego community, and are thrilled with the success of this event,” said Suzi K. Johnson, vice president of Sharp HospiceCare. “It’s our goal to continue to build awareness about hospice care and help people understand that dying is a process and a natural progression of living.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit Sharp HospiceCare, an organization that provides comprehensive care and compassionate support for patients and their families struggling with a life-limiting illness. The money raised directly funds Sharp HospiceCare’s Homes for Hospice campaign, which has led to the completion of two homes.
Overall regatta winner, Houn Dawg, skippered by Drew Niedringhaus, qualifies to compete in the 2010 National Hospice Regatta Championship in Rochester, New York. The Physician’s Challenge exhibition race ran concurrently with the main event, featuring two teams of Sharp-affiliated doctors aboard legendary America’s Cup sailing yachts. The head-to-head competition concluded with Sharp Community Medical Group taking the win aboard Abracadabra and defeating Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group aboard Stars and Stripes.
Community volunteers Maggie Watkins of Best Best & Krieger LLP and Bill Quealy of KPMG LLP served as the 2010 Regatta Event Co-Chairs.
About Sharp HealthCare
A 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award recipient, Sharp HealthCare is San Diego’s most comprehensive health care delivery system. It is recognized for clinical excellence for services in cardiac, cancer and multiorgan transplantation, as well as orthopedics, rehabilitation, behavioral health, women’s health, and hospice care. Sharp HealthCare has been widely acclaimed for its commitment to transform the health care experience for patients, physicians and staff through an organization-wide performance improvement initiative called The Sharp Experience. The Sharp system includes four acute-care hospitals, three specialty hospitals, two affiliated medical groups and a health plan. To learn more about Sharp, visit www.sharp.com or stay connected with Sharp on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube:
http://www.facebook.com/sharphealthcare
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