SANTA MARIA, Calif. — Reaching a new three-year high for its signature fundraiser, CoastHills Credit Union raised $72,000 to benefit the Emergency Services Expansion Project at Marian Regional Medical Center.
Held at Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria, the 11th Annual Rancho Vino signaled a return to the cause of local healthcare. Over the past two years, the event raised $120,000 in support of the Allan Hancock College Viticulture and Enology Foundation. From 2011 to 2014, the Credit Union partnered with Dignity Health’s Mission Hope Cancer Center to raise nearly $330,00.
In the 11-year history of Rancho Vino, the event has poured more than $580,000 into local food banks, Mission Hope, Allan Hancock and now Marian’s emergency department.
The $72,000 came from the sales of sponsorships, event ticket and bottles of Generous Harvest — co-branded special release vintages of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay donated by Presqu’ile.
“For CoastHills, Rancho Vino is really a celebration,” said Jeff York, CoastHills President/CEO. “We celebrate the partnership between us, our business partners, Marian and Presqu’ile. And in the end, we celebrate the thousands of dollars in critical support raised for Marian’s expansion project. That’s quite a generous harvest.”
In 2012, Marian opened a 235,000-square-foot expansion that was double the size of the former hospital. Though only five years have passed, the need for further expansion is clear.
The 32-bed Marian emergency department is on pace to treat nearly 80,000 patients this year, a sharp increase since the new hospital opened in 2012. Thirty percent of those patients are kids in need of emergency services. Such a high volume of cases is creating high demand for more space and specialized services.
That’s where CoastHills Credit Union, Presqu’ile and all those in attendance at Rancho Vino stepped in to make a difference for Marian’s Emergency Services Expansion Project, which is slated to include a dedicated unit specifically for pediatric patients.