Local businessman Don Heimbigner has made a $1 million gift to the Community Home Health & Hospice (Community) capital campaign for a grief support center, conference center and memorial garden in the Salmon Creek area of Clark County. The 9,000-square-foot project will be constructed next to Community’s 10-bed hospice care center, which will now bear the name Elaine and Don Heimbigner Hospice Care Center. Heimbigner said, “Throughout our 58-year marriage, everyone referred to us as ‘Don and Elaine Heimbigner.’ Now she will finally be first.”
Greg Pang, President & CEO said, “It is an honor to name the existing hospice care center for Elaine and Don. Elaine was a long time patient for whom we provided in-home care and hospice until her passing in February 2016. It is a privelege to continue our relationship with the Heimbigner family in this wonderful way. The Heimbigner’s gift will enable us to expand our nonprofit mission to thousands more in our community who need our support. We are excited to accept Don’s extraordinary gift for the grief center, conference center and memorial garden. As a nonprofit agency, it is our mission to extend grief care to everyone in the community, not only hospice families. As has always been the case, our grief support programs are free of charge. The grief center is modeled after our successful James Avery Grief Center in Longview and will include specialized rooms for children, teens and adults. This will become a community destination for healing and hope. The conference center will be open for a variety of community-wide uses. With just over $3.0 million raised, the project is now in the design stage with groundbreaking planned for spring 2017 and grand opening scheduled sometime in late 2017 or early 2018. .”
Heimbigner enjoyed a long career in the sports industry. He employed many young people in their first jobs at Don’s Sports Center and patented a bowling ball finger grip that was highly successful.
For more information, contact Julie Rinard at 360.414.5406 or jrinard@chhh.org.
