The following is an unedited press release:
“Fisher House Charleston is one step closer to making the building at 150 Wentworth Street a reality. Donations from local organizations and an annual event raised more than $600,000 in just the last month.
“To say we are overjoyed would be an understatement,” said Durbin Emerson, Co-Founder of Fisher House Charleston. “We believe passionately in this project and the money raised in the last month is helping the organization get that much closer to serving the needs of veterans' families.”
Bishop Gadsden residents recently raised $100,000 at their annual fundraiser, and elected to make Fisher House the recipient.
On Veterans Day, the Fisher House Charleston held their annual ball, and its live auction generated more than $500,000 in donations.
Meanwhile, Phi Gama Delta fraternity at the College of Charleston chose to raise funds for the Fisher House during an annual donation drive. After a week of events, they presented Fisher House Charleston with a check for more than $17,200. Skyler Patrick, President of Phi Gamma Delta, noted: “This was the most money we have ever raised. We wanted to donate to the Fisher House Charleston because we believe in their organization and are happy to help them reach their goal.”
The Fisher House Charleston project will provide a comfortable refuge for families of patients at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. Fisher House Charleston will relieve the burden of costly hotel stays so that families can focus on what is really important: visiting their family member in the hospital and not having to sleep in their vehicles or in the patients hospital room.
The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, located in historic downtown Charleston, is one of the most highly rated VA hospitals in the country. The Ralph H. Johnson serves more than 4,500 veteran inpatients annually from 22 coastal counties from Myrtle Beach, SC to Savannah, GA. Charleston is a beautiful tourist-welcoming location—with that comes high dollar nightly accommodations. Not all visitors to Charleston are on vacation and can afford vacation rates.”