Ecumen Hospice-Litchfield Celebrates 28-Years of Community Connection

Ecumen Hospice-Litchfield held its annual hospice dinner and silent auction April 7, 2017, and raised about $11,000 – money used to help pay for care and supplies that are not reimbursable by insurance. The fundraiser is a Litchfield community tradition going back 28 years.

Ecumen Hospice-Litchfield Staff (front row, left to right) Missy Kielty, Jennifer Nieland, Jen Welte, Alex Reimer, Janice Kalkbrenner, Brittany Dobson; (back row, left to right) Nicole Larson, Amanda Becker, Stacy Anderson, Beth Kern, Sandy Dougherty, Shelly Hank, Judy Loecken.

Ecumen Hospice-Litchfield held its annual hospice dinner and silent auction April 7, 2017, and raised about $11,000 – money used to help pay for care and supplies that are not reimbursable by insurance. The fundraiser is a Litchfield community tradition going back 28 years.

“The community support in Litchfield is amazing,” said Sandra Dougherty, Home Care and Hospice Director at Ecumen of Litchfield. “We have had some of the same people come for years, and many of them have become our hospice clients. Then their families start to attend.”

Don and Ann Konietzko, Ecumen Hospice-Litchfield’s first volunteers, were the hosts for the evening. Don served as master of ceremonies for the event, announced the winners and ran the live auction. This year 177 people attended, and there were 153 auction/raffle items.

“This is a great event and everyone always enjoys the evening,” Dougherty said. “The dinner brings hospice awareness, allows us to thank the community for its support, and also gives us the funds to provide the ‘extras’ that are so important in hospice care.”