MED Night, A Soul Celebration Packs the House for the Second Year With Performances by Motown Legends

MEMPHIS, Tenn., April 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 31st, Motown Legends The Temptations Review featuring Dennis Edwards, The Four Tops, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., and Thelma Houston performed before a capacity crowd of nearly 800 at the MED Night, A Soul Celebration gala. The audience was thrilled to hear old favorites like "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch" and "Up Up and Away." The affair, held in the Peabody's Grand Ballroom, met and exceeded this year's fundraising goal.  Many of Memphis's finest were in attendance including Mayor A C Wharton Jr., country music artist Andy Childs, Honey and Rudy Scheidt, Pat Kerr Tigrett, Senator Mark Norris, gala co-chairs Susan Scheidt Arney and Leigh Shockey

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120410/CL84512)

The evening began with a cocktail reception in the Continental Ballroom after which guests moved to the Grand Ballroom for dinner hosted by WREG news personalities Claudia Barr and Richard Ransom. In addition to the concert, guests bid on a fabulous array of gift items during a live auction including fine jewelry, a Never Cook Again package with a year's worth of dinners for 4 from some of Memphis' most celebrated restaurants and luxury vacation packages to Bali, San Francisco wine country, Tuscany, China and Paris.

Dr. Reginald Coopwood, CEO of The MED, says, "The Foundation and our co-chairs have done a brilliant job in creating this event, which has quickly become one of our signature fundraising events. This is not your standard gala; The MED Night, A Soul Celebration event is a good time, arguably one of the best parties of the social season."

Tammie Ritchey, Executive Director of The MED Foundation, continues, "The MED touches so many lives across the region. We are very thankful to have such a high level of support from the community -this year's was even more successful than last year's! The goodwill of the great people of Memphis, from both the individual and corporate sectors, far exceeded our expectations."

The event was sponsored by Drexel Chemical. The Tri-state Defender and WREG were media sponsors.

ABOUT THE MED AND THE MED FOUNDATION

The MED was chartered in 1829 and is Tennessee's oldest hospital. It is widely celebrated for its top tier centers of excellence – Burn Center, Trauma Center, Newborn Center and High Risk Obstetrics. The hospital has been supported by the works of the foundation since 1986. The mission of the MED Foundation is two-fold. First, it raises funds for special non-operational projects, such as purchasing state-of-the-art equipment and providing special training for staff. Secondly, it aims to raise awareness of The MED's excellence. The MED Foundation manages more than 40 funds that support everything from basic necessities for infants and purchases of advanced surgical equipment, to providing training and educational opportunities for its employees.

For more information about The MED Foundation visit www.themedfoundation.org . For media inquiries or interview requests, contact Joy Doss at [email protected] or 901.266.2662 x303.

SOURCE The MED Foundation