Bluffton Jasper Volunteers in Medicine (BJVIM) will host a benefit Dinner on the Wild Side from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at Legacy Park, 328 Lakeview Drive in Ridgeland.
The public is cordially invited to join the organization for a spectacular evening featuring shrimp, venison and other wild game dishes created by Frankie Denmark.
Musical entertainment will be provided by Lowcountry icon Shannon Tanner.
In addition to the dinner and entertainment, the evening will feature a live auction with highly sought-after items, including vacations and artwork. The proceeds of the event will go toward the expansion of BJVIM’s free medical clinic in Ridgeland.
The BJVIM Ridgeland clinic provides free medical care to the low income and uninsured residents of Jasper County, including primary care, women’s health, cardiology and optometry services. Once a week the clinic also collaborates with the Pregnancy Center of the Lowcountry to provide prenatal care for those in need.
Opened in 2016, the clinic has seen great increases in both patients and services. As the need for these services has grown, the current location has become too small.
“The evening promises to be filled with delicious food and great entertainment benefitting a very worthwhile cause,” said Pam Toney, executive director of BJVIM. “We greatly appreciate our loyal supporters and friends of BJVIM who continually support our efforts to provide much needed medical care to members of our community.”
Tickets for the event, presented by Parker Law Firm, are $150 each; a table for eight can be reserved for $1,000.
For more information on tickets and auction items, visit bjvim.org or contact Dennis Toney at dennis@bjvim.org or 843-706-7090, ext. 110.
In operation since 2011, BJVIM’s new Bluffton facility is located at 29 Plantation Business Park, Units 601-604. A second office is located in Ridgeland at 11332 N. Jacob Smart Blvd.
BJVIM operates with the help of 110 medical and non-medical volunteers, including bilingual volunteers that speak Spanish. BJVIM sees an average of 100 patients a week and requires a minimum of 67 volunteers per week to operate; this includes administrative staff, doctors and nurses.
Bluffton-Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine is one of more than 90 independent clinics under the guidance of the National Volunteers in Medicine Alliance.
The clinics offer free medical exams, counseling and nutritional services, as well as preventative disease education. The greater Bluffton and Jasper County clinic sees more than 2,000 patients a year.
