VERO BEACH, Florida – (Tuesday, March 4, 2025) – Longtime supporter of the VNA & Hospice Foundation, Michael Pierce, hosted a lovely cocktail party at his home in Vero Beach on Thursday evening, February 27, 2025, providing an opportunity for donors and close friends to gain more knowledge of the programs and services the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) provides to our community. Michael and his family’s longstanding commitment to the VNA is a testament to their belief in what we do, who we are as an agency and our commitment to the health of the community.
Michael was inspired to host the event by his late wife, Kathie Pierce, who was the Board Chair of the VNA & Hospice Foundation when she passed away unexpectedly in 2023 and who was passionate about the VNA for two decades. Like many, the Pierce family became involved with the VNA when a family member, in their case their family matriarch, Peggy, required the non-profit’s home health and eventually hospice services. “My mother got sick, and when her health was really starting to fail, the VNA provided care for her,” said Michael. “The VNA was absolutely wonderful helping take care of my mother.”
In 2002 Ann Marie McCrystal approached Leo Pierce, Sr., Michael’s father, with an opportunity for the family to consider, naming the VNA Hospice House for a $1 million donation or creating a named fund within the Hospice House Endowment. It was Kathie who convinced Leo and the rest of the family to donate $1 million from The Leo and Peggy Pierce Family Foundation as the lead donation to the VNA Hospice House Endowment Campaign. After donating such a significant amount, which was vital to ensuring the longevity of the VNA Hospice House, Leo felt that his family should have representation on the VNA & Hospice Foundation board. “My father went around the room, and he looked at all of us, and Kathie was with me, and he looked at Kathie and said, ‘Kathie, it’s got to be you.’”
To date, Michael Pierce along with his family’s foundation have donated several million dollars to the VNA, including most recently, providing a majority of the funding necessary to purchase the land beneath VNA Hospice House which the VNA had been leasing from the Indian River Hospital District for two decades.
Last Thursday’s event hosted by Michael included remarks from himself; the current Board Chair of the VNA & Hospice Foundation, Carol Kanarek; and one of the founders of the VNA and current board member, Ann Marie McCrystal. It also included a video about the VNA that was created in honor of its 50th anniversary, which is this year. Several current board members and family members of the founding board of the VNA & Hospice Foundation participated in the video, including Ann Marie McCrystal.
About the VNA
The Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and provides home healthcare services, including Medicare-reimbursed and private-duty nursing; home health aides; physical, speech, and occupational therapy; in-home companions; and personal transportation throughout Indian River County. The agency is also the only licensed hospice provider in Indian River County, offering end-of-life care in patients’ homes, local hospitals, assisted living facilities, and the VNA Hospice House. The VNA also provides low-cost medical care aboard the VNA Mobile Health Clinic at convenient locations throughout Indian River County and no-cost blood pressure and blood sugar screenings. To learn more about the VNA, please visit www.vnatc.com.
