Gilda’s Club Madison Founders’ Stories – Cindy Alvarez

For over two decades, Cindy Alvarez has been an unwavering advocate of Gilda’s Club Madison. From visiting nine different Gilda’s Club locations throughout the country in the early 2000s to fundraising and securing major donations, Cindy and her husband Barry have been instrumental in helping Gilda’s Club Madison ensure that no one faces cancer alone….

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“This Place Looks Fun!”

By Ryan Cigler, Gilda’s Club Volunteer That was my first thought when I ran by Gilda’s Club for the first time back in June 2010. My family had just relocated back to Wisconsin after living in Colorado for eight years. I was out for a run and took the path behind the clubhouse when I…

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Renee: The Strength I Didn’t Know I Had

By: Renee Zemke I came to Gilda’s Club at the beginning of my treatment. There was a meal train in place, rides to treatment were organized, babysitting after school was taken care of, a caring bridge was set up and the whirl-wind was in full force. For me, despite all of the support, I felt…

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Mental Health and the Holidays

By Shelbie Sullivan, MS, MA, LPC, NCC, Club Red Associate Board Member Mental health becomes an increasingly important topic to consider for yourself and loved ones as holidays approach. As a therapist, I hear from many people about these seasonal difficulties. I will often encourage clients to imagine and compare themselves to a sturdy tree;…

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Rachel: I No Longer Felt Alone

By Rachel, Gilda’s Club Member December 29, 2021 is a day forever seared in my life. The day that, at age 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. With no family history of breast cancer this was unexpected and a tidal wave of fear, loneliness, and uncertainty knocked me down. My story doesn’t start like…

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Alan and Amandalynn: Navigating a New Path

“Gilda’s Club was the reason our family was whole through everything we went through,” shared Amandalynn in the Gilda’s Club Madison 10th anniversary video.  You may remember Alan and Amandalynn and their children Dmitri and Astraea. They were featured in our 10th anniversary video, sharing their moving story of navigating cancer with their young family….

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Gilda’s Club Madison Founders’ Stories – Peg Lucas

As Peg Lucas was getting ready for work one morning in the spring of 2002, a local news segment piqued her interest. Pat Anderson, one of the founders of what was formerly known as Madison Friends of Gilda’s, was sharing more about a support community that she and other Madison-area residents formed to help those…

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