When I approached Carol, founder of Mahj for a Cause, about featuring her final event of the year in Mahjong Madness, she said, “Sure, but aren’t people tired of seeing me in the magazine?” I beg to differ. Carol is the philanthropic queen of metro Chattanooga, and Riverview is lucky to have her. Through Mahj for a Cause, she has found a pretty wonderful formula: gather people around a mahjong table, make it fun, and turn that connection into something that matters.

For the final fundraiser of the year, the beneficiary was Clínica Médicos of Chattanooga, and Carol was all in. Parkside Hall was filled with thoughtfully displayed prizes, photo backdrops, food and cocktails catered by Events with Taste, and, most importantly, a room full of women slinging tiles together for a purpose. Eighty four women attended, and together, the event generated an incredible $30,000 for Clínica Médicos. Approximately $20,000 came through ticket sales, entries and in kind donations, with an additional $10,000 privately donated. And people came from near and far to be part of it. I made the trip from Michigan, while Megan Harris of Bama Mahj joined us from Alabama. Kendra Scott was also on site with a booth and contributed to the fundraising effort. It was truly a collaboration between Carol and Mahj for a Cause, Parkside Hall, the mahjong community, generous businesses and supporters, and a community willing to show up for something bigger than themselves.

During the event, attendees heard directly from the Clínica Médicos team about how the organization began, the services it provides and just how meaningful community support like this can be. Founded in Chattanooga, Clínica Médicos provides bilingual healthcare with a particular commitment to serving the area’s Latino community. Its services include primary care, urgent care, women’s health and obstetric care, behavioral health and patient navigation, among others.

One of the clinic’s most important distinctions is its ability to help patients navigate healthcare without language becoming another barrier. The Clínica Médicos team is bilingual in English and Spanish, helping make an already intimidating experience feel more accessible.

And that is what made this final hand of Mahj for a Cause about so much more than winning. It was about women gathering around tables. Businesses stepping forward. Friends traveling across state lines. A community showing up. One tile, one table and one generous heart at a time.

The final game may have been played for the year, but Carol and Mahj for a Cause have once again proven something we have seen throughout this series: When you gather people for a purpose, the impact reaches far beyond the table.