Longtime donor and volunteer Dennis Leonardi teams up with his dog Simba to raise funds and awareness for the hospital.

“Out here, we have to be resilient and self-sufficient. But if something happens, we’re the first ones there to help.”

Our Humboldt County community is well-known for many ideals — chief among them are courage, loyalty and self-sufficiency. The people who have made Humboldt their home know how special this place is, and we are so grateful that Dennis Leonardi is one of those people. He has been a supporter of our local hospitals for decades and has served in nearly every role possible as a community leader, donor and volunteer. Dennis has served on both Providence St. Joseph Hospital Foundation Eureka and Providence Redwood Memorial Foundation boards, as chair of the Community Ministry board, and is currently serving another term as a member of the Providence St. Joseph Hospital Foundation Eureka board. 

In between these volunteer commitments, he runs Leonardi Dairy in Ferndale. When Dennis decided to help his dog, Simba, raise money for the Providence Humboldt dog therapy program, he knew that this would be an opportunity for more than just fundraising.

The dog therapy program welcomes certified therapy dogs and their trained volunteer handlers to the hospital to help create a better healing environment for the patients, staff and visitors. Interacting with these calm, loving and well-behaved therapy dogs can lower levels of stress, ease fear, reduce loneliness and promote relaxation in the hospital setting. 

A lifelong Humboldt County resident, Dennis is passionate about building opportunities for support and education through fundraising campaigns. “It’s not only about giving money,” he said. “It’s about education. Talking to the community and donors, talking about what we do and how we do it. Successful programs are not just raising money, they’re sharing the story and building new connections between people doing good in our community.” 

The story of how Dennis came to know Simba is a great illustration of “surviving and thriving, that’s what we do in this community,” he said. Dennis’ daughter, a winemaker, found Simba wandering through 10,000 acres of grapevines in 100-degree heat, “looking like a coyote snack,” he said. “She asked me, ‘Daddy, don’t you need a friend?’ and that was the end of that project and Simba came home with us.” 

A short time later, transformed from the matted and hungry vineyard dog, Simba was crowned “Dog of the Year” after they raised almost $10,000 for the Providence Humboldt dog therapy program.  “It’s unconditional love,” Dennis said. “You give to the  entire community — the best, the worst, the least  and the greatest.” 

For Dennis, the Destination Humboldt campaign is so important to share the story of the Humboldt County community and to educate doctors, nurses, technicians and support staff about why living up here is so special. Beyond the hospitals’ excellence in so many areas of caregiving, Dennis’ commitment to and support of the hospitals’ strength in his community reflects the culture of resiliency and support for each other. As for his and Simba’s success in fundraising, Dennis gives all credit to his community. “I would say we’re one of the most generous communities per capita in the country,” he said. “Out here, we have to be resilient and self-sufficient. But if something happens, we’re the first ones there to help.”