10/06/2026
Last Thursday evening, we celebrated our inaugural Legacy Day.
We gathered to honor three men whose service helped build the Free Clinic of Central Virginia and still shapes it today: Dr. Augustus "Gus" Petticolas Jr., Dr. Jim Wright, and Dr. Gene Erb.
Dr. Petticolas helped found our dental clinic and has spent 39 years volunteering and recruiting dentists to serve alongside him. Dr. Wright launched our diabetes clinic, our first specialty clinic, and built the network of specialists we still rely on. Dr. Erb led our pharmacy for decades and helped carry the clinic from its beginnings in the basement of Westminster Presbyterian Church, through a fire, to the clinic we have today.
Three rooms now permanently carry their names: the Dr. Augustus A. Petticolas Jr. Dental Classroom, the Dr. Jim Wright Exam Room, and the Dr. Gene Erb Conference Room.
Thank you to the former leaders and board members who shared tributes, to our staff and volunteers who made the evening special, and to everyone who came to celebrate. As the program wrapped up, Dr. Petticolas said it best: "Another 50 years."
Legacy Day is now an annual tradition, and next year it becomes a gala celebrating our 40th anniversary. To support the next chapter of care, visit freeclinicva.org.
