Fiona Breslin reports from New Marlborough.There were plenty of doctors in the house, along with other medical professionals and supporters of Volunteers in Medicine (VIM) on Thursday, August 9, at Gedney Farm as the organization, which provides free healthcare to low-income, uninsured Berkshire residents, held its annual gala, the largest such event to date. The evening began with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres catered by Rita Welch, with time to peruse silent auction lots before guests were ushered upstairs for dinner and a live auction. While supporting an organization like VIM produces positive feelings, the hearts of guests were warmed further when VIM volunteer doctor and board member Matt Mandel (at left with board chair Arthur Peisner and State Representative Smitty Pignatelli) was honored by the Massachusetts Medical Society as its 2012 Senior Volunteer Physician. Dr. Mandel has offered his experience, expertise, time, fundraising efforts, and more to VIM Berkshires since its inception in 2003; he is the first doctor from Berkshire County to receive the award.
Jon Gotterer, DDM , Nina Molin, MD, and VIM board member Robin McGraw; Jeff Gagnon, CATA founder Sandy Newman, and Clara Londoner.
Berkshire Museum's Van Shields and his wife, artist Peggy Rivers; Vicki Bonnington and David Schecker.
State Representative Smitty Pignatelli, Jane Iredale, founder of Jane Iredale cosmetics, and Robert Montgomery .
VIM supporters Diana Richter, Richard Richter, and Elise Richman admire a custom-built dollhouse for auction by Jeffrey Erdos; Tony Chojnowski and Lisa Cohen.
Laure Friedman, Catherine Mandel, Carole Reife, MD, and VIM board member Ross Reife, MD.
Elise Abrams, Elise Richman, and Lisa Cohen ; Salisbury Bank's Rich Aldrich with Clemente Cohen.
The gala committee's Molly Sheriff places a bid at the auction; Norman Rockwell Museum director and CEO Laurie Norton Moffat with realtor Nancy Kalodner.
The Gala committee's Jane Salamon, volunteer physician and vice chairman of the board of VIM Berkshires Matt Mandel, and VIM board member Marion Simon.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
