JCF Hospital sets date for Black and White Ball

Submitted by Jill Harry

After a successful relaunch last year, the John C. Fremont (JCF) Hospital Foundation Board has set the date for this year’s Black and White Ball. It will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, starting at 5 p.m. at the Mariposa Fairgrounds in Building A.

“We shifted from our typical first Saturday in November to the second Saturday,” said Mike Wichmann, Events Committee Chair, “so as not to conflict with the Hornitos Patrons Club’s All Souls Day. It’s another wonderful, local event and we want people to be able to go to both if they choose.”

The ball will be back at the Mariposa County Fairgrounds. “We appreciate the good relationship with the fairgrounds staff,” Wichmann noted. “We were able to really transform the space to something beautiful last year and had a lot of positive feedback from guests.”

“Planting the Seeds” is this year’s theme.

“The committee wanted to highlight our early-stage investments in a number of health-related areas” said Megan Mickel, Events Committee member and lead creative person.

“The new hospital is in its early stages of planning,” stated Mickel. “We are listening and waiting for our opportunity to become involved. Through our scholarship programs, we are ‘seeding’ the educational journeys of several John C. Fremont Healthcare District staff and high school students pursuing degrees in healthcare-related fields. With early care and investment, these ‘seeds’ will blossom providing much benefit to the community,” Mickel explained.

In 2023, the Black and White Ball raised just over $35,000. Funds were used to support critical equipment purchases such as neonatal equipment, mobile defibrillators, and wheelchairs for the benefit of healthcare District patients.

“We will release more information about the ball as it is determined,” Wichmann continued. “For now, we are asking the community to please save the date on their calendars. We learned a lot from last year and are planning an even better event this year.”

The John C. Fremont Hospital Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with the mission to strengthen the rural communities of the John C. Fremont Healthcare District to maximize health through partnership and philanthropy.

All proceeds from the Black and White Ball directly benefit the healthcare district’s programs and services, such as the hospital, Home Health and Hospice, and outpatient services, as well as scholarships and community health programs in the surrounding rural areas.

For more information, contact the foundation at (209) 966-1166, or send an email to [email protected]. To stay up to date with the foundation’s latest news, follow JCFHospitalFoundation on Facebook and Instagram.

Anyone who would like to support the work of the foundation but cannot make this year’s ball, can donate via check to JCFHF, P.O. Box 1093, Mariposa, CA 95338, or through the online fundraising site at givebutter.com/jcfhf. Donations are tax deductible.