News from the Coachella Valley Volunteers In Medicine:
Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Volunteers In Medicine (CVVIM) held the 2nd Annual WineLover’s Auction February 3rd to benefit CVVIM – the Valley’s only no-charge primary care healthcare clinic. The event, held at the historic Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage, was overflowing with fine wines and good-hearted generosity. Sponsored by JFK Memorial Hospital and Desert Regional Medical Center, the event featured both silent and live auctions during a wine reception and wine-paired dinner.
This year’s WineLover’s Auction raised $300,000 to support CVVIM operations and programs, including direct patient care, education, case management services, and homeless medical outreach. Auctioned items included Dom Perignon champagne and Osetra caviar, a case of 1985 Cos d’Estournel Bordeaux wine, San Diego and San Francisco travel packages, and a five course gourmet wine dinner party for eight.
CVVIM Executive Director, Doug Morin, shared, “This is just the second time we’ve held the event and I’m absolutely delighted with how everything turned out. It was a beautiful evening, everyone had a great time, and importantly, much needed funding was raised to support CVVIM and the services we provide to our Coachella Valley neighbors in need.”
The WineLover’s Auction is the primary fundraising event for CVVIM, which doesn’t receive governmental reimbursement and relies exclusively on the generosity of individual and philanthropic organizations for funding. “A heartfelt thanks to the many donors and volunteers who made this remarkable evening happen,” added Morin. Entertaining guests with music were Kaitlyn Farley, 2016 McCallum Theatre’s Open Call Winner, and Paul Cracchiolo, arranger/composer and house pianist for the McCallum Theatre.
About WineLover’s Auction
WineLover’s Auction is a signature event reflective of the extraordinary people who populate the Palm Springs area and the wines they love to drink. Just as the Coachella Valley draws fascinating people from all over the world, the superb wines presented at the annual WineLover’s Auction come from all over the United States as well as from France, Italy, Chile, Argentina, Australia and more. Guests who attend the WineLover’s Auction are able to bid on wine travel packages and wine dinners, golfing events with wine, wine storage and wine accessories – everything an oenophile could ask for. Many of the exceptional wines that are available for bidding hail from private wine cellars and provide a spectrum of rare types and vintages.
About Coachella Valley Volunteers In Medicine
The mission of Coachella Valley Volunteers In Medicine (CVVIM) is to provide primary healthcare services to low-income adults living in the Coachella Valley who have no insurance, or who are underinsured. CVVIM is the only no-charge healthcare clinic in the Coachella Valley. Services include medical and dental care, disease education, case management and community referrals. Conditions seen most commonly include diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all of which cause serious problems if untreated, but whose complications can be prevented with regular medical care. In addition to never charging a patient for medical or dental care, CVVIM also assumes all associated costs necessary for diagnosis and treatment of illness, such as laboratory tests, imaging and x-rays. Scores of dedicated volunteers – doctors, dentists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical and dental assistants and support volunteers, donate thousands of hours each year to accommodate more than 4,500 patient contacts a year. Since opening in 2010, CVVIM has provided more than 25,000 patient visits.