OCEAN PINES – Officials with Coastal Hospice this week honored Macky and Pam Stansell for their charitable contributions by naming the Coastal Hospice at the Ocean building after them.
On Thursday, both the Stansells and members of Coastal Hospice’s fundraising committee were recognized for their efforts in a ceremony at the waterfront location.
President Alane Capen said it was because of the committee’s hard work and the Stansells’ generosity that Coastal Hospice has now surpassed its $5 million capital campaign goal.
“We had a fundraising consultant come and tell us that this wasn’t possible here, and that just energized our campaign committee,” she said.
“They believed in this project, that Coastal Hospice at the Ocean, our residents and outreach center was something that would be worthwhile having and they believed in the generosity of this community.”
Board Chairman Michael Dunn said Macky Stansell and board member Dirk Widdowson spearheaded efforts to find a location and acquire donations for a new Coastal Hospice facility in Worcester County and for the past seven years have been working with the committee on a bi-weekly basis.
“You have our eternal thanks,” Dunn said.
Widdowson said the Stansells made their first contribution to a new facility by funding a Bed Needs Assessment.
“Basically our demographics showed that Northern Worcester County was the largest in growth in demographics regarding what we’ll call our senior citizens and we felt that that would probably be the best place for us,” he said.
With him and Macky Stansell acting as co-chairs for the capital campaign steering committee, Widdowson said Coastal Hospice eventually acquired The Point Clubhouse from the Farmers Bank of Willards.
He explained that both Macky and Pam Stansell played a large role in supporting the project, underwriting seven Blues on the Bay events at Macky’s Bayside Bar & Grill and contributing more than $900,000 to the campaign. Their most recent financial contribution totaled $74,000 and marked the completion of the $5 million campaign goal.
In recognition for their support, the new facility will be named The Macky and Pam Stansell House at Coastal Hospice at the Ocean.
Macky Stansell praised the committee for their efforts and generosity.
“At some point when you accumulate some money it’s very, very easy to give it away,” he said, “but the most generous thing in the world is our committee and the time that they’ve donated.”
Jack Mumford, project architect, said the 20,000-square-foot facility will be renovated to accommodate 12 patient rooms, living areas, a kitchen, a fitness area and outpatient facilities.
“We’ll make use of the entire space,” he said.
Groundbreaking on the new facility will begin shortly after plans are finalized. Coastal Hospice at the Ocean will be a hospice residence and outreach center located on an 11-acre waterfront property along the Isle of Wight Bay.
