The word is out that Hospice of the Hills is in the middle of a fundraiser with an anonymous donor pledging $50,000 for matching funds, but the new word out is that the donor is no longer anonymous.  Hospice needs $100,000 more for expansion, and Roger and Patty Harness have agreed to donate up to half the entire amount.  

Roger explained that they’ve been familiar with Hospice ever since the late 1990’s when his father, Earl Harness, was dying and Hospice took care of him – the organization didn’t even have a building then. Now living in the house where he grew up, Roger said his community is important to him. “I’ve got lots of roots,” he says with a laugh. “We like to do things that benefit our community,” adds Patty, who has cooked as a Hospice volunteer in the past. “I really enjoyed doing that too.” 

For the expansion, one of the current patient rooms will continue to be a patient room, with seven new rooms to the north of the current building. Two of the current patient rooms will be converted into guest rooms, with the fourth room removed to allow for a wide corridor into and through the addition.  Hospice board president Rhonda LaBorde said the current building is 2,500 square feet, and the completed addition will measure 4,500 square feet. 

When Roger read in the newspaper that Hospice was trying to raise money for expansion, he met with some board members and agreed to donate. “We were all on board and just glad to do it,” Roger said.  Ken Milburn, who said he’s been friends with Roger since they went to school together, said he would be more than willing to pick up any donations.  Milburn challenges everyone in the community to donate and match the Harnesses’ generosity. 

The Harnesses have plenty of reasons for their donation. Roger said he’s never heard anything negative about Hospice, a nonprofit organization. His company Harness Roofing has offices in five different cities and employs about 160 people, which limits the amount of time he and Patty have to volunteer, so donating makes sense to them. “I’m taking the easy way out,” Roger said, “I give more credit to the volunteers.” 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Checks can be mailed to Hospice House, P.O. Box 2020, Harrison, AR 72602.