2025 IMPACT
- Archie, and the Facility Dog Program
- Dr. Capitini’s Pediatric Cancer Research
- Patient and Family Support Program
- Expansion of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the
- American Family Children’s Hospital
2024 IMPACT
Our new GBO gifts for the AFCH totaled $75,000 including a $25k pledge payment for the Building Fund ($100k), $25k payment to the UW Kids Cancer Fund, and a $25k payment to the Greatest Need Fund to be directed to the TIMS project (description below). We also proudly donated another $5k to the Bucky Badger Student Mascot Scholarship Fund.
December 2024 - From Nikki Stafford, President of American Family Children's Hospital
Thank you, again for the additional generous gift from GBO. I want to let you know that our plan is to use the dollars to support the purchase of a TIMS unit used for swallow studies performed in radiology at AFCH. AFCH is does currently have a TIMS unit in radiology. This new TIMS unit will allow us to:
Best, NSS
December 2024 - From Nikki Stafford, President of American Family Children's Hospital
Thank you, again for the additional generous gift from GBO. I want to let you know that our plan is to use the dollars to support the purchase of a TIMS unit used for swallow studies performed in radiology at AFCH. AFCH is does currently have a TIMS unit in radiology. This new TIMS unit will allow us to:
- offer functionality that improves the efficiency of videofluoroscopic swallow study (VFSS) review, allows images to be saved at diagnostic quality, and captures synchronous audio, thereby improving the efficiency, accuracy, clinical decision making, and ultimately clinical outcomes for patients undergoing VFSS.
- is a PC based video recording device that connects to any fluoroscope and allows for recording of high-resolution, high frame-rate video with synchronized audio. This replaces low resolution recorders that carry a risk of harm to patients due to the need to make clinical decisions based on images that are not saved at diagnostic quality.
- automatically converts VFSS to DICOM so that studies can be archived easily to PACS
- increase the efficiency and accuracy of videofluoroscopic swallow studies (VFSS) review by having synchronous audio recording.
- reduces the risk of the need for serial VFSS with subsequent repeat radiation exposure due to inadequate imagery
Best, NSS
|
ARCHIE
The Greater Bucky Open Facility Dog. Making magic happen! Canine Health and Medical Pals, or CHAMPs, is the facility dog program at American Family Children's Hospital. A crew of four specially-trained dogs and their handlers are available to help pediatric patients cope during stressful situations. Archie, is the facility dog funded by GBO donations. Go Archie Go! |
|
Child life highlights
|
All of this would not be achievable without you, our amazing donors!
We sincerely appreciate you for your unwavering support of the Greater Bucky Open and the children and families at the American Family Children's Hospital. Here are some key Child Life achievements from 2024: • 25,000 child life visits • 3,000 music therapy sessions • 230 visits to the positive image center • 1,230 visits from facility dogs • 2,058 visits from therapy dogs • 350 sibling interventions in Tyler’s Place |
|
PATIENT SUPPORT PROGRAM
Patient and Family Support Program: Since the beginning, GBO funds have provided family meals at the children’s hospital. This program allows parents the convenience and comfort of staying onsite with their patients. Meals continue to be delivered to patient rooms offering flexibility for families during a procedure or physical therapy sessions.
GBO Family lounge enhancements
|
|
We’re super proud of our Greater Bucky Open Family Lounge in the 4th floor hematology/oncology unit. This area provides entertainment and a sense of relief for patients and families during their stay at the hospital. This year GBO funds were used to update the space to be more adolescent friendly and the AFCH leadership team is extremely grateful for these new additions:
- Brand new furniture throughout the lounge
- Vintage arcade video game system with over 500 games including classics like Ms. PacMan, Frogger, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders
- Newly designed arts and craft station with sketch books, water colors, paints, and coloring books for teens
- 2 large flat-screen TVs with wireless headphones and a variety of movies
- X-box station with multiple games
- Variety of board games including Operation and checkers/chess, along with puzzles geared towards both younger children and teens
2023 IMPACT
Thanks to your tremendous support the Greater Bucky Open had its most successful year and exceeded our $100,000 goal! We will be making a donation of $64,500 to CHAMPS For Children Facility Dog Fund as directed by donors, $25,000 to support innovative pediatric cancer research, $12,500 to patient and family support food program, and $6,000 to Bucky Badger student mascot scholarship program.
In total, together we have raised $728,145 and now have $1M in our sights.
LET’S DO THIS!
GBO IS TAKING A BIG SWING
Save the Date, September 13, 2024
TPC WISCONSIN - check!
Alabama football weekend - check!
We will be one of the first official private outings to be hosted at the newly designated TPC Wisconsin golf course in Madison! Huge thank you to the TPC staff, ownership, and the Stricker family for their long time support. This is a big move for us and can’t wait to tee off at TPC with our GBO supporters! New exclusive sponsorships are also now available to help make this possible. Thanks for the support!
2023 Greater Bucky Open Impact
CHAMPS For Children Facility Dog: WE HAVE OUR VERY OWN GREATER BUCKY OPEN DOG ON THE WAY! We received confirmation that our GBO dog will arrive in February 2024 and be put to work at the American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH). We are SO EXCITED and huge thank you to everyone’s support including our lead donors, the Kahl & Clack families.
Pediatric Cancer Research: Our GBO friend, Dr. Christian Capitini continues to advance innovative pediatric cancer research. Dr. Capitini is one of the original members of the national pediatric cancer Dream Team and more recently the co-leader of the developmental therapeutics program. Dr. Capitini and his team are developing an anti-cancer therapy called CAR T, which involves genetically engineering your body’s killer cells to fight cancer.
The GBO is helping fund critical technology needed to transform new types of CAR T from the laboratory to clinical trials for both children and adults with cancer. With the GBO support, AFCH, and UW Carbone Cancer Center plan to become a destination center for children needing CAR T.
Patient and Family Support Program: Since the beginning, GBO funds have always provided family meals at the children’s hospital. Our 2023 GBO support covered lunches 5 days a week for parents and siblings for 3 months!
In addition, with 2023 support we provided funds to update the Greater Bucky Open Family Lounge located on the 4th floor of AFCH. Dr. Capitini received feedback from his teenage patients and the GBO Family Lounge now has great video games and other teen activities to complement the fun provided in the lounge for younger patients.
During the 2023 GBO week, we partnered with the children’s hospital’s Child Life Team to host Bucky in the clinical waiting room. Bucky took photos, dressed wounds with his doctor’s kit, colored pictures, and generally provided big Bucky smiles on many sweet faces. Please see our Facebook page for some great photos of our visit! Also, the GBO toy drive was a great success again thanks to our lead donor American Family Insurance. The Child Life Team sent the below picture and message highlighting our 2023 toy delivery.
Bucky Badger Student Mascot Scholarship Program: As a former Bucky Badger student mascot, loyalty to the #1 mascot in the world is strong and the need for funding is known first-hand. To show our collective appreciation of Bucky, a small portion of the GBO funds raised provides a modest scholarship for the student mascots and will be credited at the bursar’s office for their tuition bill. On, Wisconsin!
If you’d like to contribute to our efforts and support the above impact areas, please consider a gift here:
SAVE THE DATE, September 13, 2024The 28th Annual Greater Bucky Open will be held on Friday, September 13, 2024 (Wisconsin vs Alabama football weekend)
In total, together we have raised $728,145 and now have $1M in our sights.
LET’S DO THIS!
GBO IS TAKING A BIG SWING
Save the Date, September 13, 2024
TPC WISCONSIN - check!
Alabama football weekend - check!
We will be one of the first official private outings to be hosted at the newly designated TPC Wisconsin golf course in Madison! Huge thank you to the TPC staff, ownership, and the Stricker family for their long time support. This is a big move for us and can’t wait to tee off at TPC with our GBO supporters! New exclusive sponsorships are also now available to help make this possible. Thanks for the support!
2023 Greater Bucky Open Impact
CHAMPS For Children Facility Dog: WE HAVE OUR VERY OWN GREATER BUCKY OPEN DOG ON THE WAY! We received confirmation that our GBO dog will arrive in February 2024 and be put to work at the American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH). We are SO EXCITED and huge thank you to everyone’s support including our lead donors, the Kahl & Clack families.
Pediatric Cancer Research: Our GBO friend, Dr. Christian Capitini continues to advance innovative pediatric cancer research. Dr. Capitini is one of the original members of the national pediatric cancer Dream Team and more recently the co-leader of the developmental therapeutics program. Dr. Capitini and his team are developing an anti-cancer therapy called CAR T, which involves genetically engineering your body’s killer cells to fight cancer.
The GBO is helping fund critical technology needed to transform new types of CAR T from the laboratory to clinical trials for both children and adults with cancer. With the GBO support, AFCH, and UW Carbone Cancer Center plan to become a destination center for children needing CAR T.
Patient and Family Support Program: Since the beginning, GBO funds have always provided family meals at the children’s hospital. Our 2023 GBO support covered lunches 5 days a week for parents and siblings for 3 months!
In addition, with 2023 support we provided funds to update the Greater Bucky Open Family Lounge located on the 4th floor of AFCH. Dr. Capitini received feedback from his teenage patients and the GBO Family Lounge now has great video games and other teen activities to complement the fun provided in the lounge for younger patients.
During the 2023 GBO week, we partnered with the children’s hospital’s Child Life Team to host Bucky in the clinical waiting room. Bucky took photos, dressed wounds with his doctor’s kit, colored pictures, and generally provided big Bucky smiles on many sweet faces. Please see our Facebook page for some great photos of our visit! Also, the GBO toy drive was a great success again thanks to our lead donor American Family Insurance. The Child Life Team sent the below picture and message highlighting our 2023 toy delivery.
Bucky Badger Student Mascot Scholarship Program: As a former Bucky Badger student mascot, loyalty to the #1 mascot in the world is strong and the need for funding is known first-hand. To show our collective appreciation of Bucky, a small portion of the GBO funds raised provides a modest scholarship for the student mascots and will be credited at the bursar’s office for their tuition bill. On, Wisconsin!
If you’d like to contribute to our efforts and support the above impact areas, please consider a gift here:
SAVE THE DATE, September 13, 2024The 28th Annual Greater Bucky Open will be held on Friday, September 13, 2024 (Wisconsin vs Alabama football weekend)