Conservative Cafe gives SAMC Capital Campaign a special boost

A more than generous helping of charity

CROWN POINT - The largest crowd since opening week in 2007 was on hand at Conservative Café recently as part of a fund-raiser to benefit the Saint Anthony Medical Center Capital Campaign.

Owners Dave Beckham and Bill McCall, who had pledged to donate 50 percent of their April 2 proceeds to the campaign, did better than that – contributing $1,550, or nearly 60 percent. A local donor will match that amount.

Saint Anthony employees and area patrons kept the restaurant staff hopping all day.
“At one point, the line was out the door,” Beckham said. “It was one heck of day. The hospital people really care about this cause and came through big-time.
“From 10:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., there was no down time. We still had crowds at 8:30 p.m. People who came in for lunch said they would be back for dinner.”
The business, which normally closes at 8 p.m., stayed open an hour later to further benefit the cause.

McCall said he and Beckham were pleased to donate more than 50 percent of the proceeds.
“This is such a worthwhile cause; we wanted to more than do our part to help. There was such a

great show of support,” McCall added.

Beckham said the restaurant saw numerous first-time customers who promised to return, including some who had read about the fund-raiser in local newspapers and came from throughout Northwest Indiana to lend support.

“A couple from Hobart said they read about it and loved the idea of what the program is trying to accomplish,” he added. “With so many people having financial problems these days, helping the uninsured is a great cause. We want to be part of it and give back to the community.”
The campaign has a goal of raising $4.5 million to relocate and expand the hospital’s St. Clare Clinic and its Pre-Natal Assistance Center, both of which provide free services for the area’s underprivileged. Funds also will go toward enhancing services at Franciscan Point, Saint Anthony’s outpatient health complex. So far nearly $2 million, which includes the matching funds, has been raised for the campaign.

“We can’t thank Bill and Dave enough for their hard work and generous support of the capital campaign,” said David Ruskowski, hospital president. “They toiled long and hard for our fund-raiser and donated even more than the 50 percent amount we had expected. We want the community to know how much the Conservative Café cares about its neighbors.”
Warren Johnson, director of development for Saint Anthony’s parent, Sisters of St. Francis Health Services Northern Indiana Region, agreed, calling the fund-raiser “a win-win-win situation” and “a viable partnership.”

“It’s a win for the restaurant, which receives more exposure and business; a win for the hospital because it helps provide money for services for the uninsured and a win for the community, because it, in turn, receives the services.”

A Conservative Café is located at 201 N. Main St. For more information, call (219) 661-1700, or visit http://www.conservativecafe.com/.