The Richard Murphy Hospice Foundation held a Great Gatsby themed gala as a fundraiser for the organization. The Great Gatsby Bash was held on Apr. 22 at 7 p.m in the Student Union Ballroom.

Founded in 1982, The Richard Murphy Foundation is a non-profit whose purpose is to provide a safe and comfortable environment for hospice patients who are without primary caregivers. This comfortable environment is known as the Richard Murphy Hospice House. To fund the three-bedroom house that has helped over 410 patients takes around $300,000. The organization holds one fundraiser each year to raise money for its upkeep.

Many of the organization’s members helped contribute to the planning of the 2017 Gatsby themed gala. The Gala Board Chairman Guy Recotta was inspired for the gala’s theme as a nod to the past.  Great Gatsby was the theme of the first gala held 31 years ago, and since this is his last year with the organization Recotta wished to bring the foundation back to its roots.

There are around 40 members on the committee that oversees the gala during months of planning. The gala ran strictly on donation from the live and silent auctions. All 147 items were gifted. The food provided was donated from 25 restaurants. This was a charitable event done through a community’s charity for a charitable cause.

One of the more sentimental items auctioned that evening was custom made with donated wine bottles. What made this gift special was that each bottle was donated by members of the organization that have lost someone who was treated through hospice and was donated in their honor.

Some in charge of the planning include members of the SAVE LIV35 Foundation. One such coordinator is 2015 Miss Southeastern Emily Randon. She is a board member of the SAVE LIV35 Foundation and chairman of Hope Shines initiative, which is for childhood bullying awareness and prevention. Other members of the Lion and Hammond community that exhibited their support for the gala included Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller, Lions football Head Coach Ron Roberts and Recotta, whose own father was a patient of the Richard Murphy Hospice House.

“Our town is built around the university,” said Recotta. “We would not be who we are without a university. We would be just any other small town. I mean if you look at your state and your nation and all the states, when you can boast that you have one of the largest state universities in your community, you have something to brag about. You have bragging rights. Southeastern is a jewel for us here for our whole community, for the Florida Parishes. We always have members who are affiliated with Southeastern, who participate, who become part, who do their part to help build community. We couldn’t do it without you.”