VESPA — Deena Riley and James Lash, chairs of the Ohio Valley Health Center’s 19th-annual gala, were seated on a Vespa scooter representing the Italian flair they’re bringing to the April 27 fundraising event. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — Deena Riley and James Lash are excited for their first year as chairs of the Ohio Valley Health Center’s annual gala.

Riley, an X-ray technician for Trinity Health System, and Lash, an associate broker and auctioneer for Cedar One Realty, have been involved in planning the yearly fundraising event for several years.

From their new position, they hope to infuse a cultural twist into the event while retaining some core elements, all to fund the OVHC and its vital contributions to the community.

“We’re trying to raise as much as we possibly can to help the health center continue to be prosperous and to grow and to continue helping out the people in the community,” Riley said, “and to make it a fun evening that people continue to come back to support every year.”

The OVHC’s 19th-annual gala will occur April 27 at the St. Florian Event Center, 286 Luray Drive, Wintersville. Tickets are $65 per person and must be purchased by April 21. Individuals can visit ovhealthcenter.org or call (740) 283-2856 to purchase a ticket or learn about sponsorship opportunities.

This year’s theme for the gala is “Unveiling the Mask for Hope, Health and Healing.” That will be expressed through an Italianate atmosphere reminiscent of the Venice Carnival, or the traditional masquerade festival.

To determine the theme, Riley took inspiration from her Italian ancestry and the broader Italian heritage of the Ohio Valley, with Lash also sharing a passion for Italian culture.

Gala guests are advised to wear cocktail attire, Riley said, adding that decorative masks are “strongly encouraged.” The gala will include a contest to determine the best dressed and best mask.

Building on last year’s champagne hour, the gala will open at 5 p.m. with an Aperol Spritz Hour with an Italian-themed appetizer board. In addition to desserts served at the tables, guests will be able to indulge in an Italian cookie table.

The event’s first hour will include an Italian wine tasting led by Riley’s husband, Nick Riley, who’s a second-level sommelier. There will be games — proceeds from which benefit the OVHC — and some other surprises that Riley and Lash report to have in store.

Around a dozen drawing prizes should be up for grabs, Lash said, including a week-long stay at Fort Myers Beach, Fla., and two golf packages. Those prizes, as well as the 500 mystery boxes guests can purchase, are all donated by local businesses and community members.

Gala proceeds play a critical role in funding the OVHC, which provides medical care to Ohio Valley residents with little-to-no insurance, regardless of their ability to pay. Funds earned from the gala account for roughly a third of the OVHC’s operating budget.

Riley said she’s motivated to help grow the center, a “hidden gem” that does “so much good for the community.”

“I think that’s why we got involved with it,” Lash added, “because we never really knew what all they did and then they asked us to come be on the committee to help organize it. And then we got involved and we see all the people it helped.”

Lash said he’s honored to be entrusted with perhaps the largest local charity event of the year — one of a few that typically bring in more than $100,000 for the organization and draw more than three hundred attendees on average.

Riley noted the OVHC has helped get patients to breast and colon cancer screenings. Patients also benefit from a new in-house echocardiogram machine that aids heart patients with diagnosis and monitoring.

The OVHC’s offerings span from providing medication, conducting a number of laboratory services, assisting patients with case management, doling out food assistance and issuing health screenings. It’s all done without regard to a patient’s ability to pay.

The magnitude of what the OVHC accomplishes in its South Street clinic is “unbelievable,” Riley said.

She and Lash gave “kudos” to Executive Director Ann Quillen, who steers the ship. Riley expressed particular gratitude for volunteer medical provider Dr. Diann Schmittt, who cared for one of her family members.

Riley recalled when that family member lost his job in the steel mill, leaving him with no insurance. During that time, the OVHC took care of him and supplied his medication.

That family member is now returning the kindness he received by donating toward wine for the event, Riley said, adding there are more community members who’ve been helped to their feet by the OVHC, and now they’re paying it forward in some way.