PORT ANGELES — Flirtatious Can Can dancers, acrobatics, a “seductive” dance by surprised audience members and a heart-felt rendition of “Cabaret” ushered in an evening of fundraising to benefit the Olympic Medical Center Children’s Clinic and the OMC Healthcare Scholarship fund.
Saturday’s Hog Wild Goes to the Moulin Rouge drew 225 people and raised $86,500, said Bruce Skinner, executive director of the OMC Foundation, which hosted the event.
The 12th annual Hog Wild, which was presented by North Olympic Healthcare Network and Kitsap Bank, offered a catered dinner by chefs Michael McQuay and Toga Hertzog at Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles, along with an auction of items led by auctioneer Andrew McMasters, preceded by a performance hosted by Martha Enson of EnJoy Productions of Seattle.
Enson was one of four Flordigan Can Can dancers who sashayed, kicked and hollered in frilly petticoats in addition to Terry Crane’s acrobatics with the Cyr wheel and the soulful voice of Seattle singer Caela Bailey.
Three men were called up to the stage to perform what McMasters called a “seductive” dance. Giving it their best were Matt Chance of North Olympic Healthcare Network, Dr. Jerry Oakes and Dr. Dirk Gouge.
The 13 live auction items included a Hall of Fame Night with the Seattle Mariners, trips to Maui and Orlando, Fla., and a progressive dinner on either Lake Crescent or Lake Sutherland. A silent auction and raffle also were offered, and Black Diamond Junction performed.
Aleisha Autrey, manager of the children’s clinic — which has been the recipient of the Hog Wild proceeds for 11 years — thanked all those involved for their support.
Since September, the OMC Healthcare Scholarship fund has distributed $625,000 for tuition, fees, books and living expenses to healthcare-profession students, mostly at Peninsula College. It is prepared to provide $500,000 more in scholarship funds next school year.
Fund A Need raised money for clinic equipment as well as for the scholarship fund.
The Trey Green Guild, which raised $1 million for the Seattle Children’s Hospital, was welcomed as a one of the OMC Foundation’s fundraising activities. It will cover basic costs of living expenses for low-income patients as well as care that isn’t covered by Medicare or Medicaid.
Upcoming OMC Foundation events will be the Sonny Sixkiller Celebrity Golf Classic auction, dinner and golf tournament July 24-25, Harvest of Hope on Sept. 27 and Festival of Trees from Nov. 25-29.
For more information, visit https://www.omhf.org, call 360-417-7144 or go to the foundation office at 1015 Georgiana St., Port Angeles.
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Leah Leach is a former executive editor for Peninsula Daily News.
