Kathie Baird greets another Circle 100 member at the group's annual meeting on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at M. Crow in Lostine. That's Rose Clegg in the background.  

LOSTINE — Nearly 70 women packed into M. Crow & Co. on Tuesday, March 14, to raise money for the physical/occupational therapy department at Wallowa Memorial Hospital.

The event, sponsored by The Circle 100 Club, an all-female giving circle, was the 13th annual “one and only annual meeting” where women donate at least $100 each toward a specific project to benefit local health care. The Circle 100 Club is part of the Wallowa Valley Health Care Foundation, whose purpose is to raise money to improve and expand health care services in Wallowa County.

“It’s amazing what a group of women can do when they join together,” said Diana Collins, the vice president of the Wallowa Valley Health Care Foundation board. “The turnout was great.”

Despite the blowing snow, women drove from all over the Wallowa Valley to enjoy a complimentary Smashburger from M. Crow, along with salad, chips and other treats. Led by Director of Rehabilitation Services Sarah Johnson, physical therapists Natalie Butz and Tyler Stucki presented a video of this year’s proposed project: a Biodex treadmill with a body-weight system — which has a price tag of $35,000.

Butz said the system supports people who may be suffering from a major injury, obesity, or other issue that makes walking difficult. “This treadmill allows us to support the patient’s body weight, so that they can comfortably and safely benefit from physical therapy.”

With donations still coming in, Foundation director Stacy Green said the Circle 100 Club has already raised $17,200. That represents contributions from about 150 women, since the Wallowa Memorial Hospital Auxiliary donated $2,000.

The Circle 100 Club was founded in 2011 to give more people a chance to support local health care by donating $100, and just one annual meeting. “We know how busy people are in the county, so we thought this would make it easy,” said Green.

That first year, the foundation expected to raise $3,000 for a new heated specialty chair for patients receiving infusion treatments, including chemotherapy.

It crushed that goal.

“Our first year we raised $10,100, and helped expand our infusion therapy department,” Green said. That included purchasing not one but two heated specialty chairs, paying for the training of additional nurses to administer infusion treatments, buying iPads (very new at the time) and quality headphones so patients could be entertained while they received the treatments, which can take four to five hours to administer.

“Our first Circle 100 Club really showed what an impact we could make,” said Green. The Club has loyal members, who donate year after year, and continues to attract new members as well. “About 10% of our members are new to Circle 100 each year,” said Diana Collins. “We try to spread the word, and we’re always looking for new members.”

Collins’ granddaughter, Grace Collins, joined for the first time this year, and at age 20 became the second youngest member of Circle 100. Diana Collins is the daughter of Donald Hubbard Sr., a founding member of the Wallowa Valley Health Care Foundation in 1991, making Grace the fourth generation of supporters, along with her mother, Cheri Collins. The youngest member is Joseph sixth-grader Kallie Michaelson, whose mother Jessie Michaelson is a long-time supporter.

After the men saw the results Circle 100 was having, they formed their own group in 2015. The Men’s Guild will hold its annual meeting Tuesday April 25 at M. Crow & Co. from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For more information, call the foundation office at 541-426-1913.