"It was fantastic!"

Rosalie Wilson of Vincent was describing the Swish's Wishes benefit trip to the Dominican Republic this month.

The trip to Melia Caribe Tropical hotel in Punta Cana raised $8,200 for Nick Swisher's foundation, Swish's Wishes, which helps children in need. Several people from the Parkersburg area, along with others from New Jersey, Chicago, Ohio, New York and Canada, flew from Pittsburgh to the Dominican Republic on a charter plane.

Wilson, who works at DuPont Washington Works, said she cheered for the New York Yankees this year because Swisher, a Parkersburg High School graduate, was an outfielder on the team.

"Nick is like my kid - one of our own. There is a connection," she said.

Wilson said she is also a fan of NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, who is sponsored by DuPont - another one of our own.

"Nick is the most down-to-earth, friendliest person to meet," Wilson said. "He was one of us on the trip. He seemed as interested in us as we are of him."

That the trip supported a charity was "icing on the cake" for the Washington County resident, who traveled with Amy Armstrong and Beth Desmond to Punta Cana on the Caribbean. The trip was booked by Amy Ocasio of Parkersburg's U.S. Tours.

Wilson noted that Swisher hit a home run when the traveling group (The Swisher Land Sharks) faced a local Dominican team in softball. "Nick was a pitcher for us. The softball game was a hoot," said Wilson, who got a hit in the game.

After the game, Swisher gave one of the Dominican players the shirt off his back and autographed it. Wilson estimates that Swisher signed autographs for 30 minutes after the game.

"It was like flies on honey," Wilson said in describing the adoration of the Dominicans toward the Major League Baseball player.

Wilson received Swisher's baseball card, along with an autographed photograph, T-shirt and bat. And a hug and big thank you from Swisher for attending the trip.

Wilson met Swisher's girlfriend, actress Joanna Garcia, at the resort. "She was sweet," she said.

Parkersburg attorney George Chandler said the trip was great, the resort was nice and the beach was beautiful. "The Swishers are nice people," he added.

One-hundred percent of the money raised through Swish's Wishes, which is two years old, is distributed to children's non-profit organizations, said Kathy Jacobson, Swisher's public relations spokesman.

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About 500 people turned out Nov. 20 at Parkersburg Country Club to welcome new physicians to town.

With a "Welcome to Paradise" theme, Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital introduced seven new physicians and five resident physicians to members of the community at the reception. Each physician received a box of Holl's Chocolates, specially prepared by Dominique Holl, with a palm trees and sunset-behind-an-island engraved logo. For the first time, physicians in CCMH's new internal medicine residency program were recognized at the reception, which featured heavy hors d'oeuvres, entertainment and tropical casual dress. The residency program has been good for the doctors, patients and staff, and, hopefully, the residents will return to work at CCMH, said Greg Smith, director of marketing at Camden-Clark. Smith said the hospital has been successful in attracting and keeping physicians.

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Smooth jazz performer David Wells of Vienna will be bringing his newly introduced gourmet coffee to his Dec. 15 Christmas concert at the Blennerhassett Hotel.

Wells, who enjoys a good cup of coffee, has placed his Chocolate Jazz label on five flavors of coffee blended by a Minnesota company. His favorite is medium dark roast "New York, New York." Wells will be playing "Deck the Halls," "The Drummer Boy," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and other holiday tunes, along with a single from his latest CD "Skyline," on the flugelhorn at 6:30 p.m.

Contact Paul LaPann at plapann@newsandsentinel.com