Waupaca Foundry is Presenting Sponsor of the Fundraising Event
When Kirk Kallio’s mother was dying of pancreatic cancer in June 2016, he relied on a home hospice nurse to help offer his mother the best care. He soon discovered the reach of that service stretched beyond the care his mother received and impacted the family as a whole.
“The nurse educated me on how to do the things that were needed, and she offered the kindness of heart to sit down and talk to me about how I was doing,” said Kallio, director of human resources for the Waupaca Foundry. “I can’t say enough about how impressive and important her care was to our family.”
That experience during a painful time demonstrated to Kallio the value hospice services offers to families and the greater community.
“You don’t truly understand what hospice care is until you experience the support of the program when you need it,” said Kallio, who will be giving the welcome address at this year’s Light up the Night event in Waupaca. “It is difficult to process the impact of that disease, and you need as much support and assistance as you can get.”
The 13th annual Light Up the Night event on Tuesday, Aug. 14 will help raise funds – and awareness – for end-of-life-hospice care services and innovative projects at ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca. The event, hosted by the ThedaCare Foundation-Waupaca and supported by the generous donations of the community and organizations like Waupaca Foundry, has helped made impactful programs like the Hospice Hopes & Dreams, pet therapy and the hospice suite at the ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca campus possible.
This year’s proceeds will support compassionate end-of-life care for patients in hospice and their families in addition to innovative projects led by ThedaCare Medical Center-Waupaca.
Waupaca Foundry, this year’s presenting sponsor, has generously supported the Light Up the Night event since its inception in 2006 and has been a key player in making the event a reality each year.
“With so many people impacted by cancer each year, it’s likely that many of our 1,600-plus employees in the Waupaca area will face a family member going through this disease,” Kallio said. “Sponsoring this event for hospice care helps us to support our employees and the community by relieving some of the burdens and pressures they may face.”
Light Up the Night is one way that the community can see the impact of giving on healthcare services in the Waupaca area. The event includes a moving luminary release – large paper lanterns released into the night sky in memory of loved ones and friends.
The event will be at the Par 4 Resort – formerly the Waupaca Ale House – 201 Foxfire Drive, Waupaca, starting at 6 p.m. with cocktails (cash bar) followed by light hors d’oeuvres starting at 7 p.m. A dinner will be held at 8 p.m. with the luminary release occurring at dusk. The event is $60 to attend and lanterns can be purchased prior to or during the event. For tickets or luminaries, contact Holly Rutter, regional development coordinator-special events for the ThedaCare Family of Foundations at 920.738.6478 or Holly.Rutter@thedacare.org.
ThedaCare Family of Foundations enhances the care our patients receive. From ongoing programs like pet therapy to new interventions like the Community Paramedic Program, donations to the foundation enhance the care provided to patients and families in Waupaca. To learn more about the foundation and the impact of donor support, or make a donation, please visit www.thedacare.org/Foundations or email Foundations@thedacare.org.
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 6,800 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose, as well as 31 clinics in nine counties and the ThedaCare Regional Cancer Center in Appleton. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving our specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a non-profit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs as well as a foundation dedicated to community service. For more information, visit www.thedacare.org or follow ThedaCare on Facebook and Twitter.
