Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1364002
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM APRIL 21-27, 2021 UCW 13 COVER MONICA WILLIAMS, The CARE Clinic Director of Development and Marketing. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweek- ly.com. 910-484-6200. You don't want to miss out on the 21st Annual Toast of the Town Wine, Beer, & Spirits Tasting and Silent Auction. A signature fundraiser for e CARE Clinic of Fayetteville, the event ar- rives May 6 at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden at 536 N Eastern Blvd. from 6-10 p.m. Food, fun and a good cause await. Come out for a night out in the beautiful gardens enjoying an assortment of finger foods and desserts served by Elite Catering. Wine Café will have various wines to explore, while specialty spirits will be provided by Durham Distillery and Lizard Lick Brewery and Distill- ery. Local brewing companies Bright Light and Mash House will be in attendance delivering hometown hops, too. e popular silent auc- tion includes trips to destinations not offered in the past Key West, Canadian Rockies, Sedona Iceland and more. A wide range of fun-themed baskets will also be available for bidding during the silent auction, including Escapology Party for 8, e Goddess Basket, e Best Mom Ever Basket, Flowers for a Year, Paint for a Cause Board and Brush, Stud Muffin Basket, Rugged Outdoor Basket, Happy Humidor Basket, Family Fun Basket, Kids' Basket and more. Event proceeds benefit e CARE Clinic, a private nonprofit organization that provides free basic medical care and dental extraction services for eligible uninsured, low-income adults living in Cumberland County and sur- rounding areas. Located at 239 Robeson Street, the clinic opened its doors to the community Nov. 16, 1993. e clinic receives no government funding and relies solely on donations, grants and an- nual fundraising events like e Toast of the Town to provide health care services to the community. Additionally, CARE Clinic patients have assisted in their care by donating more than $306,863 since its founding. e clinic serves approximately 1500 patients a year and handles 734,000 prescriptions. Since its inception, e CARE clinic has helped some 37,500 patients with service demands rising sharply during the pandemic. e 501c3 entity could not operate without the gift of time provided by volunteer staff: doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitio- ners, pharmacists, dentists, dental assistants, nurses, pharmacy assistants, chiropractors, social workers, nutritionists, physical therapists and orthopedists. ese health care profession- als treat patients with the compassion and care they deserve. e clinic also relies on our nu- merous nonclinical staff who assist e CARE clinic's small staff in performing the tasks needed while also serving on the clinic board and various committees. Volunteers are vital at e CARE Clinic, and both medical and nonmedical opportunities abound. When it comes time for fundraising events like Toast of the Town, community vol- unteers take center stage through sponsorship, prize donations and event planning. Other fundraising events include the winter Evening of CARE dinners, now in its 24th year, and a fall Golf Charity tournament. e Toast of the Town has gone through many transformations in its 21 years. e first Toast of the Town was held in Saint Patrick's Catholic Church in 2000. With a smaller variety of wines, food, water and entertainment, the clinic fundraiser netted $4,000 that first year. Within the past two decades, e CARE Clinic has found overwhelming support from spon- sors and community members to provide a night ensuring enjoyment. With this support, the event has raised eight times the original event each year since. e CARE Clinic couldn't achieve these goals without those in atten- dance. Starting with only 86 participants, the signature event now boasts 350-400 people annually. Precautions concerning COVID-19 have become a priority over the last year. Due to the extent of the pandemic, the clinic did not host a live Toast of the Town in 2020. CARE clinic staff and supporters are excited to see event-goers in person this year. e health and safety of attendees to this year's Toast of the Town are of high consider- ation. Event vendors will set up on the CFBG lawn to allow space for social distancing. is distancing extends indoors with seating op- tions and at silent auction tables ― touch-free this year via item QR codes. For those not comfortable attending the live event, online participation for auction bidding is an option. For those who do choose to attend, masks will be provided at the door. Support is needed each year to make the Taste of the Town a success. To become a corporate sponsor, silent auction item donor, or your name added to the invitation list for next year's event, please contact Monica at e CARE Clinic at 910-485-0555 development@ thecareclinic.org. Tickets can be ordered at https://www. toastofthetownfay.com/ and are $75 per person in advance and $100 at the door. Find event details and virtual participation options by vis- iting https://www.thecareclinic.org/. Mark your calendars for May 6 for the Toast of the Town event. Enjoy good food and a variety of tasty beverages while contributing to the community. CARE Clinic patient information: To be eligible for e CARE Clinic's services, you must be 18 years or older; have no insur- ance, including Medicaid; meet an income requirement; and display proof of household income and a valid, North Carolina DMV-is- sued picture ID card or driver's license showing your current address. Call 910-485-0555 to make an appointment. Appointments are made only by phone; no walk-ins. Medical appointments can be made Monday- ursday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dental ap- pointments can be made Friday from 9 a.m. to noon for the following week. e clinic serves patients each Tuesday and ursday and the second and fourth Wednes- day of each month from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Dental clinics are every Tuesday and the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Appoint- ments are made on a space-available basis. The Care Clinic's Annual Toast of the Town returns in May by MONICA WILLIAMS e Toast of the Town will include wine, beer & spirits, food and a silent auction to raise funds for e CARE Clinic.