“An Enchanted Evening Under the Stars”

Phyllis Schleier and Peggy Coston work as part of the decorating committee for the hospital gala. The lights will be shining brightly on East Texas the night of Jan. 28, and they will be the brightest inside the National Guard Armory on Stone Road as the Laird Memorial Hospital Gala celebrates "An Enchanted Evening Under the Stars."

The hospital gala, since its inception, has been the "social event of the season" for Kilgore, and one of the reasons has been the elaborate transformation of the armory by the Decorating Committee.

This year promises to continue the tradition of the gala having an outstanding background for the people who attend to raise money for the local hospital.

Cyndy Smitherman is the chairman of the Decorating/Lighting Committee, and she and her group are working two to three nights per week and two to three hours at a time to make sure the gala decorations are as grand as they have been in the past.

From the looks of the finished products right now, the group will definitely hit a home run on decorations and lighting.

Committee members, according to Smitherman, include Shalia Pybas, a trichair of the Laird Hospital Gala this year, and Linda Smitherman, Janie Edmonds, Peggy Coston, Phyllis Schleier, Sharon Sampson and Beth Garrett.

Cyndy Smitherman, Beth Garrett and Sharon Sampson work on decorations for the gala. "I cannot say enough about the people who have volunteered to work on the decorations," Smitherman said. "They are extremely talented, extremely dedicated and very hard working."

Smitherman did not want to give away any major decorating secrets, but she did say that "stars of all shapes and sizes would be seen by those attending the upcoming hospital gala."

Pybas, who has been part of the work on decorations since the work began in September, said she was very impressed by the people who have assisted thus far.

"These people have great ideas, are working hard and will have the armory looking absolutely wonderful by the night of the gala," she said. "We are extremely lucky to have these people working on behalf of the gala committee."

In the past, those attending the hospital gala have seen New York scenes, Las Vegas scenes and other wonderful travel destinations. But, this year, the stars will be the focal point of the hospital gala.

"There are some unique ideas we have had this year, and we are hopeful that the decorations will once again be great," Smitherman said.

"They already are," Pybas said, adding that these volunteers will have put in over 100 hours by the time the gala arrives.

"They have other things to do, they have families and yet they have volunteered a great deal of time to help our local hospital raise money for a new fetal monitor," Pybas said. "We cannot thank them enough."

Funds raised from the Jan. 28 gala will go toward the purchase of a new fetal monitor for the Harold Habenicht Women's Center. The cost of the new device will be upwards of $175,000. The hospital hopes to raise $100,000 of the cost through the gala and then get the balance from grants. Carol Hinton, marketing and development director at the hospital, has been working for the past month or so on several grants for the remainder of the cost.

"This monitor is extremely important to the women's center," she said. "It will allow the hospital employees to better serve the families who are using the center to bring their children into the world."

The Harold Habenicht Women's Center is wll known in East Texas. It is respected for its staff, equipment and care for newborns.

In order for the gala to be a success, however, the people of Kilgore and the surrounding area must once again step up to the plate and support the event.

"We are sure that Kilgore will go above and beyond like it has in the past to make sure the gala is a success," Pybas said. "People in Kilgore realize how lucky we are to have such fine medical facilities right here in our hometown. And, they are willing to whatever possible to make sure we continue to have this fine hospital."

Those willing to take a chance can purchase tickets for a PT Cruiser or a Colorado Regular Cab pickup for $100 each. Or, they can have $18,000 cash toward the purchase of another new vehicle at Patterson Chevrolet in Kilgore. There have been 375 tickets printed for the chance to win the vehicle, and tickets are available at Guaranty Bank, Laird Memorial Hospital and Patterson Chevrolet.

Sally Beane, chairman of the invitation committee, plans to have them mailed by the end of this year.