Smiles and pride exuded from guests at the fourth annual Mardi Gras celebration last Saturday evening to benefit the We Care Foundation of Indian River County and honor the physicians and medical professionals who make the We Care program a reality.

The Oak Harbor Club was colorfully transformed for the night with festivities that included casino poker tables and slot machines, New Orleans-style cuisine and Brazilian Samba dancers in elaborately feathered costumes. Nearly 250 revelers donned their wildest Mardi Gras attire for a fun-filled evening of dining, dancing and fundraising.

We Care was founded in 1991 as a cooperative venture between the Indian River County Medical Society, the IRC Health Department and the Hospital District to provide free physician services for patients living at 150 percent below the federal poverty level. More than 130 volunteer professionals donate care to as many as 3,000 local residents each year, providing services valued at more than $1 million annually.

The We Care Clinic, located in the Gifford Health Center, opened in 2015 and is staffed by a full-time primary care physician, services coordinator, social worker and eligibility specialist so that care can be administered in a routine, planned manner rather than on a crisis basis.

“I was one of the doctors who helped found We Care 26 years ago,” said Dr. Dennis Saver. Saver continues to volunteer at the clinic twice a month and also serves as president of the We Care Foundation, which raises funds to help the volunteer physicians do more for their patients.

“The money raised tonight will help expand programs for those who otherwise have no options,” Saver explained. “We Care provides needy patients with medicine, transportation, medical appointments, cataract surgery and lenses, special surgical supplies and surgery center costs.”

Noting that they outsource whenever possible, he said that in 2017 nearly 20 Hepatitis C patients were approved for free pharmaceutical treatments, which would ordinarily retail for $8,000 each, or nearly $1 million. “Six of them have been cured so far and the others remain in treatment.”

“We are such a philanthropic community,” said Ann Marie McCrystal, a volunteer and advocate. “There is such a great need in this community. The beautiful clinic in Gifford was built entirely through philanthropy and all the physicians give back to the community by not charging for their services. Tonight is all about helping those less fortunate.”

An auction included some exceptional bottles of Jack Daniel’s whiskey made available only to Navy SEAL Command for special occasions. The Navy SEAL Museum generously donated 12 bottles valued at $2,500 each and a crystal embossed decanter valued at $5,000.

The event raised roughly $200,000, which will help enable the We Care program to meet the non-physician ancillary medical or medically related needs of its patients.

For more information, visit wecareofirc.org.

Article: Kerry Firth, Correspondent