The Sarah Bush Lincoln Fayette County Hospital “Handbags for Hearts” event will feature two special purses to headline this year’s auction.
“Handbags for Hearts” is set to start at 5 pm on Thursday, April 6, and it will be hosted at 8th Day Venue in Vandalia. This is the second time the event is taking place, and its goal is to raise funds that the hospital can use to purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment.
For the event’s second year, the SBL Fayette County Hospital is adding some exciting new activities for guests, and it will auction two special purses.
One purse is being auctioned in memory of an SBL Fayette County Hospital employee who worked hard to make the purse auction come to fruition. Melissa Willms, who was the Surgical Services manager at SBL FCH, recently passed away of cancer, and the proceeds from that purse sale will go to the SBL FCH Oncology department.
The other unique purse being auctioned belonged to Marie Lombardi, wife of National Football League Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi. A note of appreciation written by Marie Lombardi will also be presented with the purse. The purse was given to Greg Starnes, former CEO of Fayette County Hospital, by Tony Catlett of Crane Agency to be used in the auction.
Tickets for the event are $25 for pre-sale, and $30 at the door. To purchase tickets ahead of the event, call 618-283-5401. There is a limit of 200 tickets available. Attendees will receive an event wine glass and tickets for door prizes, which attendees must be present to win. Hors d'oeuvres and wine will be served.
Guests will also have the opportunity to purchase $25 mystery bags at the event, which contain items that have a total value of at least $25. Some items may be gift cards, for example. One lucky guest will also find an expensive handbag in the mystery bag.
During the event, two purses will be won by guests who participate in a card draw. Attendees can purchase a card from a deck, and if the matching card is drawn, they will win one of the purses.
SBL FCH thanks Cromwell Media for its support for Handbags for Hearts by sponsoring the event.