MOBILE, Ala. — The Providence Foundation’s inaugural Home & Garden Show raised more than $170,000 in net proceeds to help launch a new ECMO program at USA Health Providence Hospital — an effort organizers say is already changing lives across the Gulf Coast. As the foundation celebrates the event’s impact, it is also issuing a final call for 2027 dealer applications and has announced sponsorship opportunities for next year’s show.
The newly renamed Antiques & Garden Show of the Gulf Coast will be held March 4–7, 2027, at the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.
An event with a mission
Held in March 2026, the inaugural four-day event featured more than 40 national and international antique dealers and welcomed attendees from more than 18 states. It offered immersive landscape displays, expert-led design lectures and curated shopping experiences, exceeding expectations both as a Gulf Coast destination and as a fundraiser.
The more than $170,000 in net proceeds helped establish the ECMO (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) program at USA Health Providence Hospital, expanding access to advanced, life-saving cardiac and respiratory support for critically ill patients throughout the region.
A life saved close to home
Just weeks after the program opened, its impact became personal for one local family. Thirty-three-year-old Earl Drinkard Jr. was rushed to Providence in severe respiratory failure after what began as a seemingly minor cold quickly escalated into a life-threatening illness. He became one of the first patients to receive ECMO care through the new program.
After spending 24 days in intensive care battling severe pneumonia and strep B, Drinkard walked out of the hospital surrounded by cheering caregivers and reunited with his wife and children.
“This is the reason we wanted to bring ECMO to Mobile, and it demonstrates the value to our community,” said Will Ricks, M.D., cardiovascular surgeon and director of the USA Health ECMO program. “It was very moving to see a patient who had been so sick literally walk out of the hospital. It was a reminder of why we practice as physicians — to help people overcome sickness and get back to life with their families.”
For Drinkard’s wife, Victoria, the timing was extraordinary. “Mobile has needed this for a very, very long time, and we are so honored to be a part of something that is going to have such a huge impact on our city,” she said. “I can’t wait to see all of the lives that get saved now that we have access to such an amazing program right at home.”
Looking ahead to 2027
Building on that momentum, the Providence Foundation has renamed the event the Antiques & Garden Show of the Gulf Coast for 2027, reflecting the central role antiques play in the show experience.
“The inaugural show demonstrated what can happen when a community comes together around a meaningful mission,” said Janée Lambert Bonner, honorary chair of the Antiques & Garden Show of the Gulf Coast. “Not only did attendees and dealers create an exceptional event, but together they made a lasting investment in the future of healthcare on the Gulf Coast. Seeing the ECMO program already changing lives is a powerful reminder that every ticket purchased, every dealer who participated and every sponsor who supported the show helped make stories like Earl’s possible.”
The 2027 show will again bring nationally recognized antique dealers, designers, artisans and lifestyle experts together for four days of shopping, education and inspiration. Guests can once again enjoy one-of-a-kind antiques, fine jewelry, luxury rugs and curated home furnishings; lectures from acclaimed designers and industry experts; garden displays and outdoor living inspiration; and signature events including the Preview Party, Bourbon Tasting and Designer Lecture Series. The 2026 show featured nationally acclaimed designers Paloma Contreras, Barry Dixon and Christopher Spitzmiller, and the foundation says it will soon announce speakers for 2027.
Businesses and community leaders can now secure sponsorships online, with a variety of customizable tiers available. Dealer applications for the 2027 event will close soon, and antique dealers, artisans and design-focused exhibitors are invited to apply. General admission tickets will go on sale in early 2027.