Build Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin Clubhouse—A Progress Report

By Cindy Alvarez, Chair-Board of Directors, and member of Building Committee

Summer in Madison…there isn’t a better place to be. Hopefully, you are finding time to enjoy our lakes, farmers market, festivals and maybe a lazy day or two. Here at Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin, we are enjoying the summer weather, but we are also working very hard to plan and prepare for the next year.

Our focus on the clubhouse now turns to selecting our contractor and beginning the construction process. We have accepted the challenge of raising the monies as well as obtaining in-kind donations to make our dream a reality.

We are fortunate to have many supporters who have offered their expertise and insight in this area. A big thank you goes to Mike Schulz and Jason DeNoble on the clubhouse committee; John Karcher and Lori Gammon on in-kind donations; and Bill Bula, Wayne Jensen, Jessica Klehr and Peggy Robbins of Flad & Associates.

Heidi Green has joined us as Director of Development and she is committed to help us reach our goal of $3.5 million.

The success of Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin depends on our supporters. Therefore we need your help! Please take a minute to think about what you can do to help Gilda’s Club and give me a call. I would welcome the opportunity to visit with you.

Thank you,
Cindy Alvarez

Green Joins Growing Staff; Guides Fundraising Efforts to Build Clubhouse

Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin welcomes Heidi K. Green as its new Director of Development. “We’re so happy to have Heidi on our team,” said Cindy Alvarez, Chair-Board of Directors of Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin (GCMW). “She’s a delightful, hard-working and important component. We still need funds to build our clubhouse and Heidi has been charged with guiding us.”

Heidi comes to GCMW with an extensive background in fundraising, both in the non-profit and political arenas. Her experience includes: Director of Development for Catholic Charities, Executive Director of the Foundation for Wisconsin DECA, and as an independent fundraising consultant for numerous political campaigns over the past 13 years. She has also worked as a corporate lobbyist and has continually volunteered time to non-profits, including Gilda’s Club.

“I am thrilled to be working for Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin,” said Heidi. “This is my dream job. My grandparents, cousin, aunt, as well as several friends have fought cancer. I am so grateful that Gilda’s Club will be here to help anyone when they are in the midst of living with this disease and need a place for support, information and best of all, a laugh!”

“We have yet to reach our goal and the funds needed to build the clubhouse and fund operations,” she said. “We need some major donors to step up in order to break ground this fall.”

Heidi was born and raised in Wisconsin and graduated from UW-Madison. She and her husband Chris live in Madison with their two wonderful children, Emma and Peter. Heidi can be reached at hgreen@gildasclubmadison.org or 608/273-8880.

In addition, please welcome Pamela Magee, our Outreach Coordinator and a volunteer. Pamela is a three-time cancer survivor, a mother of two, and an assistant attorney general with the Wisconsin Department of Justice for 32 years.

“Gilda’s Club offers a unique concept for those touched by cancer,” said Magee. “Activities for the whole family, sharing laughter and experiences with others going through the cancer journey — what a wonderful way for an organization to serve the community. I wanted to join with others in making that happen.” Pamela can be reached at info@gildasclubmadison.org.

And please welcome Katherine Vaughn, Administrative Assistant. Katherine is working part-time while studying for her Masters in Public Health at UW-Madison. Katherine can be reached at kvaughn@gildasclubmadison.org.

STORYBRIDGE.TV: Check out www.storybridge.tv and the story titled: Laugh. Love. Live. for a story on Erin Brown, the young woman hiking to honor her father, and to raise money for Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin. Thank you to Katy Sai and Jay Olsen for sharing Erin’s story.

THE MADISON CLUB: Thanks to Jodi Cohen and everyone at The Madison Club for a wonderful fundraising event, Women’s Night Out on May 31st.

Jodi said that “I loved the spontaneous applause to the proposed SBACFI Support Group: Staying Busy to Avoid Core Family Issues and the feedback I received from cancer survivors that ‘I’d hit the nail on the head, and made us laugh while hitting it!’”

KANS 4 KIDS: On Saturday, July 21 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm, bring in aluminum cans to the YMCA (West) and Quick Service Recovery (QSR) will make a donation to the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign and Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin. Lussier Family West YMCA parking lot, 5515 Medical Circle, Madison, WI. Don’t forget to bring your appetite! Brats available.

A big thank you to Gary Guild, President of Quick Service Recovery and a long-time supporter of Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin.

BROOKLYN SUMMER PROGRAM: Recently, Outreach Coordinator Pamela Magee spent time with 40 children enrolled in a summer program. They ranged in age from 6 to 13. Besides the normal summer activities playing sports, going on field trips and dog craft projects, their leaders — high school and college students — want to help instill a desire to help others in their young charges.

One of the leaders contacted us, following her attendance at a Gilda’s Club 101 meeting and asked about choosing Gilda’s Club as the focus of their fundraising during the summer.

The children are now working very hard to raise funds by gathering cans (raising $13.43 their first week!), having bakes sales, and undertaking other fundraising activities. They are making posters and handing them around Oregon in order to involve the entire community in their fundraising activities.

At the end of the summer program, the children will present their donation to Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin, and would like for it to be targeted towards “Noogieland”.

LIGHTEN-UP CD: Susan D’s Spa-tique Day Spa is sponsoring the sale of Open Your Heart and Lighten Up, a self-help inspired CD to help your mind and body work together.

Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin. The CDs are available at the Spa, 2711 Allen Blvd., #100, Middleton, WI.

MARGARET: Gilda’s Club Madison Wisconsin recently lost a volunteer and good friend, Margaret Porterfield.

Margaret volunteered in our offices once a week, filing, straightening, organizing, framing and hanging pictures, and basically getting things done.

Margaret was a shining example of what it meant to live with cancer.

Margaret will always be remembered for her smile, her enthusiasm, and her can-do attitude.

When we aren’t exactly sure what to do, we always think, “What would Margaret do?”