Le Mars Area Dialysis focus is on fundraising, renovation

Le Mars Area Dialysis Services is stepping up its fundraising efforts.

Currently the not-for-profit group has two main focuses -- one is to continue raising money, and the other is to plan renovation of its newly acquired building in downtown Le Mars.

To help with that Le Mars dialysis board members are working on a fundraising drive, hired a fundraising professional and engaged an architect experienced in renovating dialysis facilities.

The board, made up of community members, is working on a "Bushels for Dialysis" drive to encourage farmers to donate part of their harvest in return for tax benefits.

Don Law, an honorary board member working as chairman of fundraising, has been the force behind the "Bushels for Dialysis" drive, said board member Mike Donlin.

"When there's a sense that the harvest is going to be good, bringing this to the attention of farmers to consider it, is what Don's got in mind," Donlin said. "And so all the elevators and the farm bureau network and those kind of contacts is what he's been working on."

Donlin said various board members will be sitting down with farmers they think may be interested in participating in the "Bushels for Dialysis" drive.

"We'll know in a month when most all the harvest work will be done, what, if any, proceeds will make their way to us," Donlin said.

He said board members don't have set goals as to what they would like to raise for each project like the "Bushels for Dialysis" drive.

"We try to do our best with what we can," Donlin said. "Every dollar is a success."

Along with the current drive to raise money, dialysis board members also hired a fundraising professional, who can provide advice and materials that will be most effective, Donlin said.

He said having someone with that experience is especially important now with the uncertain economic times.

"Up to now getting half-way through where we are, it's all been amateur work," Donlin said. "Everything we've done so far that people have seen has been done with whatever local talent we could throw together."

The dialysis board accepted a proposal from Tom Vance, of Multivance Inc., of Le Mars, at its meeting Monday.

"His focus will be assisting us with organizing our efforts to ask people to help us, and developing some material that is expected and used in the asking of people to help," Donlin said. "Tom will spend the next month organizing the materials and the message and then he will help us with the arranging to sit down with people and ask for their help."

Donlin said the board's plan is to report to the public at its next community-wide event, the Valentine's Day dance Feb. 14, as to how the four-month campaign focus played out.

"Seeing how the times are now and seeing that someone like Tom could help us adapt our efforts to the times, that will be really useful," Donlin said. "It's still a local effort. This thing started local and we mean for it to remain that way."

In addition to fundraising efforts, Le Mars Area Dialysis board members also approved hiring an architect that specializes in building dialysis facilities to help with renovation of the downtown building, Donlin said.

"The real value is once an architect is helping, you can take a look at your target because you understand the cost better as you do more and more planning," Donlin said. "If we have to make any more changes to the $1.2 million target we have now, then we'll know that."

Currently $633,332 has been raised.

Of the $1.2 million needed for the project, $1 million is needed for renovation and for buying equipment like the dialysis machines and a special water system. The other $200,000 is needed for operation costs once Le Mars Dialysis Services is up and running, Donlin said.

That money will be necessary because about 90 percent of dialysis services will be covered by Medicaid, which requires a new facility to be in operation at least six months before it will start paying, Donlin said.

"We could do the renovation, but if we don't have the extra $200,000 it will be just sitting there," he said.

When the time comes, local electrical, mechanical and general contractors will be sought to complete the renovation work with the assistance of the architect experienced in building dialysis centers, Donlin said.

He said this is the time for Le Mars Area Dialysis Services to become part of the community because the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes, which generally leads to end-stage renal disease, is mushrooming.

"We could wait and take a chance, but someone gave us this building," Donlin said. "It's time to do this."