The Asam family and the Bavarian Inn have made a $50,000 gift to “Building the Dream,” Hospice of the Panhandle’s capital campaign. The campaign will help build a 14-bed inpatient hospice house.

The Asam family and the Bavarian Inn have made a $50,000 gift to “Building the Dream,” Hospice of the Panhandle’s capital campaign.

The campaign will help build a 14-bed inpatient hospice house and consolidated offices on 19 acres of land that straddle the Berkeley/Jefferson County line. The gift by the Asams brings the campaign total closer to its $3 million goal. Hospice has received more than $2.5 million in gifts and pledges to the campaign for the $11.5 million project. Officials hope to break ground for the project sometime late in 2011.

“The Asams have been generous contributors in the Jefferson County community for decades. They have always been particularly supportive of our organization,” said Hospice Board president/capital campaign chair GT Schramm in a press release.

David Asam, one of the owner/managers of the Bavarian Inn, has served on the Hospice Board of Directors since 2005.

In addition to the campaign donation, the Bavarian has hosted an annual Argentinean barbecue/wine-tasting, this year scheduled for July 1. Proceeds of this event benefit Hospice’s general fundraising efforts. In addition to serving on the Hospice Board, David Asam is a member of the Board’s fundraising committee.

“We have always recognized the wonderful work that Hospice does in the community,” said Erwin Asam, founder of the Bavarian Inn. “We recently had the opportunity to see this firsthand when a dear friend of our family experienced the care. We want to be a part of the ‘next steps’ that Hospice will take.”

David Asam said that being a part of the planning process for the inpatient unit and offices has been exciting.

With the ground-breaking goal within reach, Hospice officials are working closely with the Berkeley and Jefferson county planning commissions, have filed a certificate of need with the West Virginia Health Care Authority and are preparing bid documents.

“We continue to be grateful for donors like the Asam family and the Bavarian Inn, who with this donation, bring ground-breaking for this important project within reach,” said CEO Margaret Cogswell. “They have been marvelous, longtime supporters of our organization, and we couldn’t be more thankful.”