DOMINICAN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
Bringing a hospital’s impact into people’s homes.
During the pandemic, Dominican Hospital Foundation transformed its annual Light of Hope fundraising event into a 30-minute virtual program. Walcon Media built the event around stories showing how community support strengthens essential hospital programs and changes lives throughout Santa Cruz County.
THE EVENT
Thirty minutes.
One shared purpose.
Dominican Hospital Foundation Virtual Fundraiser
A 30-minute streaming program produced during the pandemic.
The program replaced an in-person gala with a cohesive virtual experience hosted by Drew Gagner, the Foundation’s vice president and chief philanthropy officer. It combined interviews, hospital stories, donor recognition, virtual sets and animated graphics into a clear progression from past accomplishments to future community needs.
A separate 15-minute viewer-welcome presentation preceded the event, recognizing sponsors and sharing hospital information as the online audience assembled.
Connecting every donor to a reason to give.
FINDING THE STORY
Michelle Farner, Director of Maternal Child Health
Dominican Hospital
“It is what brings us all together from the beginning to the end.”
The program had to acknowledge an extraordinarily difficult year while showing supporters the tangible difference their gifts had already made, and where continued support was still needed.
Walcon Media shaped stories spanning healing courtyards, rehabilitation technology, advanced cardiac care, women’s health, cancer support, newborn care and the planned community wellness center. Together, they presented Dominican not simply as a hospital, but as an institution connected to the community across every stage of life.
The fundraising appeal emerged from the stories themselves: local gifts stay local, strengthen local care and directly serve the people who give them.
Two programs.
A wider community impact.
EXTENDING THE STORY
Sponsor recognition built into the experience
Selected stories from the broader Dominican campaign continued beyond the virtual event as focused program videos. Each film gave an essential service its own clear message and provided the Foundation with content it could continue using for community awareness and donor communication.
Mobile Wellness Clinic
Bringing health services and wellness resources beyond the hospital and directly into the community.
The Katz Cancer Resource Center
Highlighting free support and resources available to people and families affected by cancer in Santa Cruz County.
The complete broadcast also included a 15-minute viewer-welcome presentation that recognized key sponsors and shared hospital information while the online audience assembled. Sponsor messages were designed to feel integrated with the event rather than interrupting it.
Santa Cruz Waves
A Santa Cruz County lifestyle publication supporting the hospital’s connection with the broader community.
FTG Builders
A presenting sponsor and the builder behind Dominican’s rehabilitation garden and other healing gardens and courtyards. FTG Builders also supported the event’s Fund the Need campaign with a matching gift.
THE RESULT
More than $370,000 raised.
Light of Hope 2020 enabled Dominican Hospital Foundation to continue its annual fundraising effort during a year when supporters could not gather in person. The virtual program gave the community a shared experience while showing clearly how local contributions support hospital programs, technology and patient care.
The event raised more than $370,000 for the Foundation, demonstrating that an emotionally grounded virtual program could preserve connection and inspire meaningful support.
A live fundraising tradition successfully reimagined for a virtual audience.
Multiple hospital programs connected through one
cohesive story.
More than $370,000 raised for community healthcare.
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