2018 House of Mercy Game Show Gala Raises a Record-Breaking $356,888
2018 House of Mercy Game Show Gala Raises a Record-Breaking $356,888
06/19/2018
Mercy Foundation is pleased to announce a record-breaking year for the 2018 House of Mercy Game Show Gala. The 9th annual event raised $356,888, a 22 percent increase over last year’s event, thanks to the generosity of donors and 2018 sponsors. The ninth annual fundraising event, presented by Nationwide and produced by Mercy Foundation, was held 6-9 p.m. Thursday, June 14, 2018 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Downtown Des Moines. Co-chairs were Monica and Rob Friedman, and Denis and Tami Frischmeyer. B3 Physician Planning and Downing Construction were host sponsors. View photos from the night's event.
Four teams battled it out in three rounds of game show-style games – including Family Feud – in front of hundreds of attendees, and all to benefit House of Mercy, one of Iowa’s largest and most comprehensive providers of vital services for persons with substance use disorders. Attendees could donate to advance four teams representing a client that benefited from House of Mercy in the areas of mental health, alcoholism, opioids use and education. Team Sam (education) won, with $13,300 pledged toward its team. Teams were comprised of community leader contestants, including the following:
Team Avery (mental health)
- Angela Connolly (Polk County Board of Supervisors)
- Beth Coonan (Brown Winick)
- Mike Helak (US Bank)
- Sid Juwarker (Terracon Corporation)
- Christina Moffatt (Crème Cupcake + Dessert)
- Bill Vandivier, D.O. (Mercy Medical Center)
Team Dave (alcoholism)
- Scott Hoekman (Next Level Ventures)
- Onnalee Kelley (Berkshire Hathaway)
- Sean Pelletier (EMC Insurance Companies)
- Georgia Van Gundy (Iowa Business Council)
- Andrea Woodard (Greater Des Moines Partnership)
- Shekinah Young (City of Des Moines)
Team Jane (opioids)
- Sabrina Ahmed (ABC5)
- Richard Deming, M.D. (Mercy Medical Center)
- Susan Hatten (Holmes Murphy & Associates)
- Tom Mass (Waldinger)
- Mandi McReynolds (Principal Foundation)
- Jana Rieker (Trilix)
Team Sam (education)
- Emily Abbas (Bankers Trust)
- Kristin Broers (Lundbeck)
- Kristin Hurd (Hurd Real Estate)
- Adam Kaduce (R&R Realty)
- Jason Swanson (Business Publications)
- Steven Van Oort (Polk County Board of Supervisors)
Established in 2010, the House of Mercy Game Show Gala has provided more than $1.5 million for House of Mercy. In fiscal year 2017, House of Mercy served 3,724 clients through recovery, halfway housing, permanent housing, adolescent group living, substance abuse and mental health treatment. Learn more about House of Mercy’s impact in this video.