Casino Night to Help Fund Meals with a Mission

Meals with a Mission will host a casino night fundraiser on Thursday, April 20. This evening of casino games and dinner will raise funds to provide meals for local cancer patients and their families.

The event will be held at the Elks Lodge at 270 W. Broadway. It begins at 5:30 pm with a cash bar, followed by dinner at 6:30 pm. The cost is $20 at the door. All are welcome to attend.

Each year, Meals with a Mission provides approximately 400 complimentary, nourishing meals to St. John’s patients who are undergoing treatments for cancer. Meals are made from recipes by the American Cancer Institute and other cancer-specific resources, and they use organic ingredients when possible. Patients and their families select their three- to four-course meals from a menu of items.

The Elks Lodge donates the use of its commercial kitchen, where a group of 10-12 regular volunteers prepares the meals and then delivers them. Summit High School students create the desserts in their school’s kitchen.

According to one patient, “Coming home after treatment to these wonderful dinners is the highlight of the week.”

Joni Upsher, a longtime Wilson resident, founded Meals with a Mission in 2015. Joni was a restaurant owner for 15 years and a culinary teacher at the high school for six years. Her husband Albert died from cancer in 2013.

Joni’s love of healthy cooking and her desire to help cancer patients inspired her to start Meals with a Mission. “The best part of this program are the wonderful times cooking with these volunteers,” said Joni. “They have such good hearts and have brought joy to this program.”

Thanks to the dedicated volunteers and the donated kitchen space, Meals with a Mission operates with an annual budget of $4,000 to cover the cost of healthy ingredients.

To RSVP for Casino Night, or to make a gift to support Meals with a Mission, please contact Rachel Merrell at 739 7517 or rpmerrell@tetonhospital.org.

Meals with a Mission is supported by the St. John’s Hospital Foundation and the St. John’s Medical Center oncology department.

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Media contact: Karen Connelly, 307.739.7380, kconnelly@tetonhospital.org
ABOUT ST. JOHN’S MEDICAL CENTER
St. John's Medical Center in Jackson, Wyoming, offers patient-centered clinical excellence and community wellness services through a full-service hospital, primary care, and specialty physician practices, and a long-term care Living Center.

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
The mission of the St. John’s Hospital Foundation is to secure philanthropic support to advance the mission and strategic objectives of St. John’s Medical Center, including patient-centered care, clinical excellence, and community wellness. For more information, go to www.stjohnshospitalfoundation.org