Luminosity Gala presented by EMPact Medical

The Ephraim McDowell Health Care Foundation celebrated a record-breaking evening at the 2025 Luminosity Gala, presented by EMPact Medical, raising $122,558.05 — surpassing the Foundation’s ambitious $80,000 goal and crossing the $100,000 milestone for the first time in the event’s history.

Held at LockRidge Park, overlooking Lake Herrington with a sold-out crowd of 285 guests, the Gala marked the largest attendance to date and underscored the growing culture of philanthropy throughout our region.

A highlight of this year’s Gala was the introduction of Foundation awards, designed to recognize outstanding contributions from donors, physicians, and community leaders. Award recipients included:

Physician Support at Historic Levels

Loyalty Award – Cheryl Stearman, for 32 years of consecutive giving.

Volunteer of the Year – Stephen Cline, for countless hours served at the foundation to enhance its mission.

Physician Champion Award – Drs. Justin and Katrina Kolasa, for their philanthropic leadership and advocacy.

Corporate Partner Award – Farmers National Bank, celebrating 30 years of giving with a lifetime contribution of $463,400.

Philanthropist of the Year – Scott Bottoms, owner and CEO of Danville Office Equipment, for his extraordinary leadership and generosity.

Legacy Award – The late Jeffrey Thornton, one of the Foundation’s original founding board members, accepted by his wife, Karen Thornton.

The generosity shown during the Gala will directly fund life-changing programs, like the River Fund and Kids Can Do Program. Funds raised will also continue to support community health needs, emergency support for healthcare associates, scholarships for future healthcare professionals, and other vital Foundation programs.

Thank you to our presenting sponsor EMPact Medical, along with the many corporate sponsors including Farmers National Bank, WealthSouth, Danville Office Equipment, Kentucky Trust Company, Trim Masters Charitable Foundation, Messer Construction, Community Trust Bank & Wealth Management, Northwestern Mutual, and UK Healthcare, individual donors, and volunteers who made the evening possible.