Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine holds wine auction, VIMY Awards

Thunderbird Country Club provided the glitz and glamour for Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine (CVVIM)'s 6th annual WineLover's Auction and VIMY Award Presentation on Nov. 11.

Founded in 2010, Indio-based CVVIM utilizes community volunteers who work alongside medical and dental professionals to provide no-cost medical and dental services to the uninsured and underinsured as well as to low-income families and individuals in the Coachella Valley. To date, the organization has provided more than 40,000 medical and dental visits at no out-of-pocket cost.

The VIMY Award honors a significant contributor to health care here in the Coachella Valley and beyond, and this year's honoree was Desert Healthcare District & Foundation, an organization that connects "Coachella Valley residents to health and wellness services and programs through philanthropy, health facilities, information and community education and public policy," according to its website.

The evening's emcee and auctioneer was Patrick Evans, who not only volunteers his time as a host for many local charities, he also frequently donates special dinners for up to 10 people who enjoy his Italian cooking accompanied by the famous sausages and meatballs made from his grandfather's recipe.

Some of the other donated items up for auction were golf and lunch packages for four at Rancho La Quinta, Thunderbird Country Club, Morningside Country Club and The Springs; a Monte de Oro barrel room dinner for 10; seven nights at the Torres Mazatlan Resort in Mexico; a Paso Robles wine getaway; a wine dinner for eight at Si Bon in Rancho Mirage; a VIP tasting and three-night stay at Christopher Creek Winery Estate House; a mixed case of 12 wines; a Thunderbird wine cellar dinner for 20; an "unplugged" experience for four in Nashville; and an in-home dinner for eight from New Leaf Catering.

Attendees supporting the work of CVVIM included Jerry Upham, La Quinta Mayor Linda Evans, council member Steve Sanchez and Michele Finney of Desert Care Network, the evening's presenting sponsor.

The event's wine storage sponsor was Palm Springs Airport Self Storage. Premier wine sponsor was Monte De Oro Winery & Vineyards. Media sponsor was ABC News Channel 3. Vintage sponsor was Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians. Magnum sponsors were Countour Dermatology, Desert Oasis Healthcare and Walter Clark Legal Group. And reserve sponsors were Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Kaiser Permanente and UC Riverside School of Medicine.

For more information about Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine or to make a donation, visit cvvim.org or call Executive Director Doug Morin at (760) 342-4414.

Carole Stephen-Smith has lived in the desert for more than 30 years. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, she began writing in London and has been a regular contributor to The Desert Sun for eight years.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine holds wine auction, VIMYs