Providence, November 20, 2009 – Adopt a Doctor, an international non-profit based in Providence, is hosting its annual winter art auction on Thursday, December 10, 5:30pm at the Round Top Center in the Beneficent Church (300 Weybosset Street, Providence). All proceeds provide financial assistance to medical doctors in four of the world’s poorest countries.

Admission to the event is free, and scores of door prizes will be provided. Robb Dimmick, the well-known actor, director, and educator, will serve as the event’s auctioneer. Numerous galleries and artists throughout New England have donated artwork to support Adopt a Doctor’s worthwhile initiative.

Prominent artists from the New England area have provided art for auction-goers, as well. Rosemary Kavanagh O’Carroll (www.ocarrollpaintings.com), an award-winning and critically-acclaimed artist from Newport, Rhode Island, is one of the highlight artists of the evening. Her stunning 72x48” oil painting, “Migrant Workers, Homestead, FL,” which is one in a series of twenty paintings that document the lives of migrant workers in America, will be auctioned. O’Carroll’s work has been showcased at shows throughout the nation, in addition to the Artrom Gallery in Rome, Italy.

Ray Rickman, president of Adopt a Doctor, stated, “Nearly 5,000 lives are saved annually from the presence of our medical doctors practicing in four of the world’s poorest nations.”

Adopt a Doctor currently supports 17 doctors, two of whom are women. The roster includes: two doctors from Liberia, three doctors from Sierra Leone, seven doctors from Malawi, and five doctors from Mali. Adopt a Doctor doubles the salaries of physicians on the condition that they remain practicing in their countries for at least seven years.

Rickman continued, “Our intent is to reverse the brain-drain that is drawing doctors away in search of higher salaries in developed nations. Adopt a Doctor affects lives in countries that need our assistance the most.”

“Our art auctions create goodwill and empower individuals to make positive global impact,” added Andrew Galli, chairman of Adopt a Doctor. “Not only will auction-goers have the opportunity of adding to their collections, they will have the satisfaction of knowing that every dollar spent translates to lives being saved.”

Adopt a Doctor, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Providence, was established in 2003 to supplement the salaries of medical doctors in Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Malawi. These countries have fewer medical doctors than almost any other place in the world.

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