Three Hastings residents were honored by the Mary Lanning Healthcare Foundation during the Stars Come Out! charity event, which sported a new look in its 32nd year.
Mary Plock and Dr. Richard and Linda French were honored with the William H. and Alice T. Lanning Award. The award recognizes those whose support and commitment to Mary Lanning’s mission exemplifies the vision of the Lannings. Honorees demonstrate a generous devotion to the advancement of healthcare by offering their time, talents and resources.
Plock was honored for her many years of work at the MLH Foundation, establishing many programs including the annual golf tournament and an ongoing publication calendar. She coordinated many successful events and was instrumental in capital campaigns including the PaC2 Daycare Center, the Morrison Cancer Center, the Century Project and the opening of Outpatient Pediatric Rehabilitation. She created many programs to address the long-term financial stability of the Foundation. Plock’s efforts have resulted in millions of dollars for the Foundation.
The Frenches were honored for their commitment to Hastings and the medical community. Dr. Richard French worked at Hastings Internal Medicine, serving many roles at MLH, including Chief of Internal Medicine and President of the Medical Staff. He was an ER physician for 15 years, and a hospitalist for 37 years. He continues to serve as a volunteer chaplain assistant at MLH and is an author. Linda served on the MLH Foundation Board from 1996-99. She also was president of the Sunnyside Foundation Board of Directors.
More than 300 people attended the STARS event, which took place at the City Auditorium. This year, the event became less formal and involved a celebrity Chef Showdown. Drs. Brent Hood, Zach Frey and Shellie Faris created appetizers with the help of chefs from the Odyssey, Blue Fork and the Lochland Country Club.
