Three gala guests go home with more than tired feet, fond memories

Local jeweler John Bartelsmeyer and his wife Cindy flank gala guest Kim Homes, who won a diamond pendant necklace donated by Bartelsmeyer Jewelry at the 18th Annual Capture the Spirit Gala Saturday night. Tribune photo/Rayma Silvers

The 18th annual Capture the Spirit Gala is now but a memory to those who attended this year's event. But three lucky event participants will not easily forget the memories generated by the 2007 gala.

Kim Holmes, Lenexa, is the marketing manager for Apria Health Care. Although Apria Health Care has attended and sponsored the Mercy gala by purchasing a table for the last several years, this was Kim's first year to attend the event. She said that she decided to attend the gala because she wanted to get to know the area physicians.

"My company purchased a table. I thought it would be a good opportunity to visit with physicians in the area since my company works with them, Holmes said.

The highlight of the evening for Holmes was winning the diamond necklace donated by Bartelsmeyer Jewelry, she said. Holmes said that the diamond is cut into a marquis shape and set in a platinum setting. She purchased two decks of cards, each bearing a number with a chance to win the diamond, she said.

"It is beautiful. I did not expect to win. I never win anything," she said.

Holmes said that she will definitely attend future galas.

"It was nicely done, considering they had to move from outside to inside. It is amazing how well they fixed up the inside of the old Wal-Mart building. The band was good, and the food was good," Holmes said.

PK Gugnani, a physician with Mercy Physician Group, said he was surprised to find out that he was the recipient of the Perrier Jouet champagne gift pack.

"I was more surprised than anything. I bought the cards with no anticipation of winning anything," he said.

Gugnani said that he and his wife have been attending the gala for the last three years. Each year, they purchase four or five chances to win that particular year's prizes, never expecting to win anything. The Gugnanis make the purchases primarily as a donation toward the medical equipment and improvements the gala helps to fund, he said.

The prize of an overnight getaway was won by gala attendee Shelly Goans. She was unavailable for comment.