Neil Thornbury: Welcome to this episode of Pulse and Perspectives. I'm Neil Thornbury, CEO of T.J. Regional Health. On this premiere episode, my special guest, Mr. Randy Burns, Executive Director of T.J. Community Mission Foundation, will be joining us to share about T.J, Mission Foundation, the Masquerade Ball, a big event that we have coming up and other things that foundation is doing in the community. So welcome, Randy.

Randy Burns: Hello, Neil. How are you, sir?

Host: Doing very well. How are you today?

Randy Burns: Doing well. Trying to get over this little cold that I've got. But other than that, doing great.

Host: That's good. That's good. Well, tell us what's going on with the exciting foundation.

Randy Burns: We are very excited about things going on with the Foundation right now. It's hard to believe the T.J. Community Mission Foundation actually was organized in 2014. So this is actually our 10 year anniversary of the T.J. Community Mission Foundation and what an exciting 10 years it's been. For folks that don't know a lot about the work of the T.J. Community Mission Foundation, the foundation started with its very first capital project which was the Shanti Niketan Hospice Home. And that campaign kicked off in 2015, and we were thrilled to be able to open the doors of Shanti Niketan in 2021. And it has just been such a blessing to this community and all the folks that call this area home.

The facility is just incredible and the incredible staff of T.J. Regional Health's Hospice Program just really make the experience everything we would hope for it to be based on all the responses we hear from families that we've been able to serve with Shanti Niketan. But that was the very first project of the foundation and then I was so fortunate to be able to be invited to be a part of the foundation team and the T.J. Regional Health team three years ago three, a couple of weeks ago was my three year anniversary. And so, it's been an exciting three years. I know one of the things that we talked about when I first joined the team was where do we go as a foundation in terms of being able to really expand our brand and make sure that the region knew that the T.J. Community Mission Foundation was more than just the Shanti Niketan project, but, but that it was really a foundation that was focused on improving the health of this region and support the mission of T.J. Regional Health, which is, I've heard you say before, at the basic foundational level is building healthier communities here in South Central Kentucky.

And so, the board has been so supportive of ideas that, that we've been able to bring to the table. It's just when you think about the history of all that we've been able to do, one of the biggest things that we've done, and it was kind of interesting, I think it was maybe the very first meeting you and I had; you said, oh, by the way, we're in conversation about possibly bringing another non profit into the T.J. Community Mission Foundation that, you would grow the foundation from day one, basically through acquiring this other non profit. And so we brought Community Medical Care into the foundation in January of 2022, and that has been such a great opportunity for not only the foundation, but for Community Medical Care to have the resources of the foundation and the network of T.J. Regional Health behind it. And so we're just really excited about all the things that are going on. And we've got some really exciting projects that both in terms of fundraising events, as well as new projects and programs of the foundation and expansion of current programs of the foundation that excited to be able to tell folks about.

Neil Thornbury: So every year, it seems to change in theme and change in character. And every year I think, how can they possibly outdo themselves and your, you and your team do every single year. So share a little bit about what's going to happen in a couple of weeks and kind of if you will, whet the appetite for those that get to listen to this Masquerade Ball and this New Orleans top of Mardi Gras that we're going to be putting together here in a couple of weeks.

Randy Burns: Well, for folks who may be like me and enjoy Cajun food, Cajun Creole food, appetite, whetting the appetite's the right word because we've had we've had a lot of fun putting this event together. And like, like you said, the foundation well before I got here, had built a tradition of having these kinds of events.

And it really was incredibly apparent just by conversations I would have with folks in the community, that the big annual gala event that the foundation had over the first few years of its existence before COVID, had really allowed it to connect with the community and connect with this area in a way that really kind of helped build the brand of the foundation.

And so, from the very first one, I believe it was called Glasgow Under the Stars to Denim and Diamonds and Peace, Love, and a Beetle Bug. And then the, through COVID the foundation had that was right before I joined the team, but the foundation had the streamathon virtual fundraiser event, and then when I got here, our very first event, we were able to partner with Lance Burton, Master Magician, who's now retired to Adair County and had the Magic of Giving Gala.

And then in December 31st of 2022, we had a New Year's Eve bash, which was such a big hit. And so this year, as we talked about what we wanted to do; one of the themes that had been mentioned in the past, that I thought would be a great theme, was a Mardi Gras masquerade ball.

And I said, I personally, I love the food. I love the flavor. I love the culture of New Orleans. Love to go visit. And so to be able to celebrate Mardi Gras and bring a little bit of that New Orleans flair to South Central Kentucky and the Cave Area Conference Center is going to be a lot of fun.

And so that event's going to be February 17th. So it's just right around the corner. There are tickets still available and folks can learn all the details. And we'll talk a little bit about what some of the details are here in a second, but folks can learn about all of the details of the event by visiting the event webpage at masqueradeball2024.com. MasqueradeBall2024.com and you can order your tickets online there as well. But it's going to be a fun night. I know this event's one that you and Alana always enjoy and enjoy hosting some of your friends that come to the event. And it gives us a great opportunity as a foundation to be able to connect with new people every year that we can share a little bit during the evening.

As people having a really good time, we can share a little about what our mission is and all the exciting projects we are doing here in the region to, to build healthier communities. And hopefully what allows us to do is through the event, we raise a lot of money to support the foundation and the works and projects of the foundation.

But it also allows us to connect with those individuals which is, very important to what we're going to do.

Neil Thornbury: Yeah, I would completely agree. It really is a great evening of camaraderie. And at the same time, you know, you're doing great work, you know, you're raising money to be able to help programs and people and a lot of area situations that just need a little help. And that's really what the foundation focuses on again, building those healthier communities and making sure that all parts of all of our region have the resources they need for healthcare, for good healthcare.

So it really is a good evening and it does, it's a great cause. So tell us a little bit about the details of what to expect. What I need to wear, what I need to, tell me everything.

Randy Burns: So everyone always wants to know what we're going to wear to the event. And so, while it is titled a ball, it's a nice event, but it's not necessarily the kind of event that guys should feel like they have to wear a tuxedo to, or the ladies would need to wear a ball gown to.

Cocktail dress is and apparel is completely appropriate. The main thing that we want from people who come to it is two, well, two things, one, we, want them to come ready to have a good time. And enjoy themselves and help us celebrate the work of the foundation. And then we hope that people come to it with an attitude of this is a fundraising event.

And so, there's going to be opportunities for people to be able to, either through purchasing raffle tickets that night, or through making donations, or through bidding on the auction items that we'll have. There'll be an opportunity for people to be able to help us raise a lot of money that evening.

So we, we hope that they bring a generous spirit with them when they come as well, but but some of the details. So again, it's February 17th of 2024 at the Cave Area Convention Center. The registration, the social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m. Central Time and then around 6:30 we'll get started and kind of call the event to order and, we'll have a welcome and then have a wonderful meal.

Diane White, for folks who are here, are familiar with this region; she does a phenomenal job of catering events at the Cave Area Convention, or Conference Center. And when I approached her about the theme of this event, I said, Diane have you cooked much Creole food?

And she's like, well, Randy, I haven't, but I think I can figure it out. And so, she actually did a tasting for us. She did a tasting lunch for our staff a few days ago and brought in the menu that we had asked about and which is, the menu is going to be so good. And we tried it that day and it was, she knocks it out of the park yet again.

But the menu is going to be my personal favorite meal, I think, of anything I've ever had, which is crawfish etouffee and then red beans and rice, some Cajun panko crusted Cajun chicken and then some steamed vegetables and then we're going to have multiple kinds of desserts including fresh beignets for folks familiar with New Orleans, we're going to have some fresh beignets and even at our cash bar that we'll have throughout the event, there'll be a signature drink for the event, which if you're going to have a New Orleans Mardi Gras themed event, you got to have a hurricane.

So it's going to be a great, meal and a great way to kick off our event. And so following the meal, we'll have an update on the life of the foundation and kind of give some announcements of things that we're really excited about over the last year and things we're really looking forward to over the coming year.

And then we'll move right into our live auction. We're putting the finishing touches on our auction items and so forth, some really, really exciting auction items including some Nashville Predators suite passes that we'll be putting some packages together for. We have a Hank Aaron signed autographed baseball bat donated by Dr. Modi, that has a letter of authenticity with it. We have a couple of baseballs, autographed Major League Baseballs. One signed by Yogi Berra which is super exciting for me. I've always been a big fan of all the quotes and sayings of Yogi Berra, but And then another ball that will have several other signatures, but then there's so many great and exciting items.

And so, as we get closer to the day of the event, there'll be all the information about the auction items will be appearing on our event webpage. And also want to give a special thank you to a couple of different folks. One our title sponsor for the Masquerade Ball. The foundation has so many very generous friends in this community and in this region.

And some of the most generous and gracious friends we have are the team at the Fouch Metzger Group, Barrett Financial Wealth Management, Dan Fouch and Barrett Metzger and their incredible team of folks. They are our title sponsor for our gala event yet again. So we want to thank them for helping us present this event to the community.

But then our auctioneer for the evening is the legendary Spencer Botts. He has been the auctioneer, served as the auctioneer of this event for the foundation in the past, but not since I've been here. And so I'm looking forward to having Spencer there, but following the auction, the live auction then we move into kind of the fun.

Well, I think all of it's going to be fun, but maybe the more lively portion of the evening where we're going to have a live band with a dance floor as Disorderly Conduct will be performing music for us. And then after, while that's going on in the main hall over in the Kentucky room, we're going to have, the full room is going to be set up as a Play Money Casino, and we did sort of a, the half the room as a Play Money Casino at our New Year's Eve bash and, you were there, what a great event that was, and we still joke in the office about how Neil was walking around the Play Money Casino with a big old stack of Play Money and like just handing out money and said, everybody's a winner, everybody's a winner.

And we had a, big time with that and looking forward this year, the casino is going to be even bigger. And so we think it's going to be a lot of fun. And again, it's just a great way to be able to bring the community together and bring our supporters together and be able to raise some money for the work of the foundation.

Neil Thornbury: Well, I know it's going to be a great event. As I say, each year y'all do yourself one better than you did the year before and I don't know how you do it. But if again, you gave a lot of details there going to the website and you said that was Masquerade Ball.com.

Ball.com that

Randy Burns: MasqueradeBall2024. com.

Neil Thornbury: Excellent. Okay. There's the resource. So as we're getting ready to wrap up, anything else you want to add to that Randy?

Randy Burns: Well, a couple things real quickly. One, we're really excited. I mentioned Community Medical Care being a program of the foundation and we're really excited that just a few days ago, we had the ribbon cutting and opened the first Community Medical Care office outside of Barron County as we opened the CMC Metcalfe office and the folks in Edmonton have been so supportive of us bringing that program there.

And so kudos to Tina Combs, a coordinator of the Community Medical Care program for the great work that she's doing to help get that program started. So we encourage people in the Metcalfe County area to make sure they reach out to learn more about that program and how maybe they can help some of your family and friends through that program. And then also we're really excited about this collaborative project that we're partnering with several different organizations and agencies in the community with which is a project called Kits for Kids. And the idea was brought to us by Sheriff Kenton King.

Who the idea behind it is how can we, as a community, put a first aid trauma kit in every classroom, in every common area, in all three school systems that serve Barron County uh, Barron County school systems, Glasgow Independent, and Caverna Independent. And so, we've got this really, really great in a collaborative project going on with all three school systems, with the Barron County Sheriff's Department, with the Glasgow Police Department to be able to raise the money to put this bucket, a five gallon bucket that would have this really, really good first aid trauma kit along with some other supplies in every classroom in Barron County. There are lots of reasons that we would want to have those types of kits in every classroom. And sadly, you don't have to go, it seems like we don't have to go very far down the road to hear another news story about how one of those kits would be very helpful for communities in our country and in our portion of the country.

And, so, this is a great project that's going to be able to kind of prepare for what we hope never comes which would be that worst day that, and, there are other opportunities that these could be very helpful, whether it be a natural disaster or as Sheriff King often talks about it a natural disaster or a man made disaster.

Either way, we want to be prepared and we want to be able to have our community and our children and our teachers and staff as safe as they can be through this through this project. And so to learn more about the Kits for Kids project, you can visit the foundation website at T.J.MissionFund.org.

T.J.MissionFund.org and you can learn more about the Kits for Kids project and can even purchase a kit online of the kits for the projects are 100 dollars and it's going to be a good project, but yeah, lots of exciting things going on in the life of the foundation. And as the, Director of the Foundation, it's, it's, great to be able to work with the incredible staff at T.J. Regional Health and the team that makes up all of their employees. They are our most faithful supporters and we're so grateful for all of their Team T.J. members that whether it's through payroll deduction or through another type of donation that they support the work of the Foundation.

We're so grateful for all of our Team T.J. members for Ttaking ownership. You know, when we started our employee payroll deduction drive a few years, three years ago, I guess, we sort of branded it as it's our foundation and they've really kind of picked up that mantra. And so an honor to be a part of Team T.J.

Neil Thornbury: Randy, I certainly appreciate your time today. And once again, thanks for being our special guest on our inaugural podcast. For more information, please visit TJRegionalHealth.org. If you found this podcast helpful and informative, please share it on your social media channels. This is Pulse and Perspectives, the official podcast of T.J. Regional Health.

Thanks for listening.