OCEAN CITY – Plans are underway for Coastal Hospice’s new Ocean Pines location, and two area residents are hosting their first fundraiser for the building Nov. 10.
Owner Cole Taustin of Blu Crabhouse & Raw Bar and Kellie Meehan of Mann Properties will host a “Brews & Bites” fundraiser at the restaurant from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
All proceeds from the event will benefit Coastal Hospice at the Ocean, which has yet to enter the construction phase.
Hospice officials purchased The Point Clubhouse property, located on Ocean Parkway, earlier this year after a bank foreclosed on it.
Although the exterior portion of the building is complete, officials said the entire interior has been left empty.
“We are continuing to meet with the architect and engineer to renovate the existing building with a conservative budget,” Director of Development Maureen McNeill said.
Hospice officials have set a $5 million goal for the Ocean Pines location and have since raised more than $3.5 million from community donations.
Money raised will go toward construction, permits, medical equipment, landscaping and furnishing.
McNeill said the fundraiser has no monetary goal except to raise more money.
Taustin and Meehan, however, have an additional goal — to encourage entrepreneurship within the community.
“We wanted to create an event that would be interesting to the area’s young leaders,” Taustin said in a statement. “This is a great chance to get involved in supporting our community and encourage younger people to start early.”
The event will have music from DJ Tenacious, beer tastings from eight local craft breweries and food from 10 or more local restaurants.
In addition to ticket sales, the event coordinators will also raise money through raffle tickets and a live auction, which contains gift cards, golf passes, baskets and more.
“Coastal Hospice at the Ocean will be an important asset to the health of our area and is a great cause for the inaugural event,” Meehan said.
The “Brews & Bites” fundraiser will be the first annual charitable beer festival that will continue to support Coastal Hospice, according to Meehan.
“My mom does a lot with Coastal Hospice, and they did a lot for my grandmother,” she said. “We just want to give back.”
When up and running, the Ocean Pines location will serve more than 400 patients and their families and will be able to host more than 100 residents each year.
“This building will have people in it for a long time, and we won’t do anything that shortcuts those plans,” McNeill said. “So we are doing the front-end work to make sure everything is done right from the beginning.”
Officials plan to open the 20,000-square-foot facility by this time next year.
The residential space will include private rooms overlooking the Isle of Wight Bay and community space that will host four outreach programs.
The new location will soon be a part of a system of end-of-life care facilities that serve more than 1,000 residents in Somerset, Dorchester, Wicomico and Worcester counties each year.
Event coordinators are now accepting reservations for at CoastalHospice.org/Brews or 410-742-8732. Tickets are available for $50 each.
Additionally, profits from the Coastal Hospice Thrift Shop will support yearly operations for the Ocean Pines location once it opens, according to officials.
