Hospice Auction offers fantastic vacations

The Ninth Annual Hospice Auction will be held on Saturday, September 9 at the lovely McGuire's Millrace Farm in Murphy, North Carolina. The evening will offer a gourmet buffet (a tantalizing spread of fondues, tenderloin, shrimp, and other delectable items) wine, beer and soft drinks, the fantastic local band Gnarly Fingers, and a live and silent auction. Tickets are $30 per person and available upon request.

Included in the live auction will be wonderful vacation packages including a week's accommodations for up to eight people in beautiful Hilton Head. South Carolina, offered by Pat and Dick Steinbronn, friends of hospice.

Nestled between the Carolina Pines and Palmetto trees of Shipyard Plantation in Hilton Head Island, the lucky winner of the bid will find Egret Point by Spinnaker, located on its own cul de sac, overlooking an interconnected lagoon system. Nature and wildlife abound, and more than eight miles of biking and walking paths are designated. Two bikes are provided so you can further enjoy Shipyard Plantation and the surrounding area. The resort consists of contemporary

styled town homes that await your arrival. The Steinbronns offer a three bedroom unit that can sleep up to eight guests. It has a full kitchen and the availability dates are 4/28/07 through 5/5/07.

Another fantastic vacation spot includes two nights in the gorgeous Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. A prominent landmark situated on Madison Avenue and 45th Street in midtown, The Roosevelt Hotel was named in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt. The New York City hotel opened September 22, 1924 and just celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2004.

Its historic heritage is reflected in the meticulously restored interiors, designed to capture the original architecture and offer modern-day amenities. Ideally situated in the heart of midtown Manhattan, The Roosevelt Hotel is located right where the business district meets the Theater and 5th Avenue shopping districts, giving you the freedom to walk to Rockefeller Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and scores of other famous New York City attractions.

"The Roosevelt Hotel has been a friend of Good Shepherd

Hospice since 1999," states Murphy Medical Center's Medical Staff Development director Mary Carol Campbell. "I took my niece to New York in 1998 for her high school graduation and we stayed in the beautiful Roosevelt Hotel. We were able to walk to the Today Show at Rockefeller Center, shop on grand Madison Avenue, and walk to some wonderful restaurants, including the famous Italian Restaurant Giambelli where Pope John Paul II dined when he was visiting New York. The Roosevelt Hotel has reciprocated for the last eight years in offering this generous package for our hospice auction."

Another vacation package is a gorgeous beach condo in Madeira Beach, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, offered by Candy and Pat List of Hayesville, longtime friends of hospice. The package consists of four days and three nights in a two bedroom, two bath condo which sleeps six. The balcony overlooks the famous John's Pass near the Salvador Dali Museum. Great fishing, beautiful waterfront, exquisite shops and restaurants are within walking distance. Contributor Pat List will also be donating his talents for the evening of the hospice auction with his fantastic band, Gnarly Fingers.

Balsam Mountain Preserve, an exclusive residential community located in the Great Smoky Mountains near Sylva, will be offering a $750 package of three days and two nights for two in a beautiful cottage - all meals included. The Preserve is situated on a 4,400 acre spectacular park and includes fly-fishing on numerous pristine trout streams, fifty miles of hiking, biking, equestrian trails and nature programs. Inspired by Balsam Mountain's extraordinary terrain, golf legend Arnold Palmer is directing the development of the golf course. The course will partially open in late fall of 2006, offering time to enjoy the fall colors, with the balance expected for late summer 2007. A few of the other great packages include overnight accommodations and dinner at Harrah's Cherokee Casino, a year's membership to Cherokee Hills Golf Club, and golf packages at Chatuge Shores and The Ridges.

For ticket information or to make a donation to the hospice auction, please call Jessica Dickerson, Murphy Medical Center Foundation Director at 828-835-7506.