Circus Bash raises $100K

Clowning around at the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge Bash are emcee/auctioneer Elaine Graham and Leslie England, who fundraising coach for the dancer teams. The fundraising event was held on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Oak Ridge.

More than $100,000 was raised last Saturday during the Free Medical Clinic's annual fundraising event, dubbed "The Greatest Show Bash," at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Oak Ridge.

"That is enough funds to provide over 800 no-charge patient appointments worth over half a million dollars in the value of medical care," Clinic Executive Director Billy Edmonds stated in an email Wednesday. "Community members, volunteers, sponsors, donors, and dancers joined together to bring needed help to our neighbors."

The Bash included the yearly dance competition, including the foursome of the "Has Beens," Louise Mixon, Nancy Stanley, Carol Plasil and Ann Odell dancing to "The Stripper." Other dancers were Garfield and Aimee Adams, Matt and Jana Brayton, Mitch Gill and Val Emery, Ruth and Michael Yates, TJ and Sarah Robinson.

Free Medical Clinic provides "no charge primary care to the over 14,000 low-income and uninsured residents of Anderson, Morgan, and Roane counties in Appalachia," according to the Clinic information. "We provided over 5,500 patient appointments in 2021 and thousands of COVID-19 testing and vaccines."

Donna Smith, The Oak Ridgerf's news editor, can be contacted at (865) 220-5514 or email her at dsmith@oakridger.com. Follow her on Twitter @ridgernewsed.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Circus Bash raises $100K