Stories of positivity can come from anywhere. These are all from the heart. See how others have helped us through gifts to the Bronson Health Foundation. We invite you to join them by finding a way that is most inspiring to you.
GIVING SOCIETIES
The Bronson Health Foundation recognizes its donors through its established giving societies. Please click on the links to learn more about each giving society and its generous donors.
GOOD NEIGHBOR ANNUAL GIVING SOCIETY: The Good Neighbor Annual Giving Society honors all donors who make a gift to the Bronson Health Foundation during the previous calendar year.
LIFETIME GIVING SOCIETY: The Lifetime Giving Society recognizes individual, corporate, and foundation donors who have made cumulative gifts at the levels specified.
THE MARGARET VARNEY LEGACY SOCIETY: The Margaret Varney Legacy Society recognizes individual donors who provide a lasting legacy to advance the mission of Bronson Healthcare at any level.
LITTLE HELP, BIG DIFFERENCE EMPLOYEE GIVING CIRCLE: The Little Help, Big Difference Employee Giving Circle recognizes all Bronson Healthcare system employees who generously give at any level.
DONOR STORIES
We are excited to announce Diekema Hamann Architecture & Engineering as the Presenting Sponsor for the 2014 Bronson Children's Hospital Walk & Run event! Diekema Hamann has been a great friend to Bronson for many years. Originally established in 1916, Diekema Hamann has built a reputation on their successes in the markets they serve, with both new construction and renovation projects. They take pride in offering comprehensive design and engineering services focused on developing the right solutions for their clients' unique challenges. We are grateful for their support of this event and for the Pediatric patients in our community!
The Brianna Lee Foundation Donates Stuffed Bears for Families Dealing with Loss
The Brianna Lee Foundation, whose purpose is to provide hospitals with teddy bears for moms who experience a still birth, miscarriage or death shortly after delivery, visited Bronson last month to provide stuffed bears for our patients. The bear is provided to give the mom something to hug, hold and carry out of the hospital. Through the healing process the bear will continue to be there to hug, love, hold and cry with.
Terry Morrow with the Bronson Health Foundation and Brenda Terburg-Fawley, Bronson Bereavement Coordinator accepted the bears in February and staff have already shared positive comments about the impact these bears have had on our patients. "This is just what we have needed for our moms!", "What a wonderful way to honor little Brianna Lee!", "This will make a difference with our families.", "One was also given to a small toddler whose newborn brother is a preemie in the NICU and was crying and having such a hard time with understanding what was going on with his baby brother. The smile on his face was priceless!"
CSM Group Continues Its Generous Support of Bronson!
CSM Group is a construction management firm in Kalamazoo with national experience managing both large and small projects. The company has been a valued supporter of the Bronson Health Foundation through donations to extraordinary projects such as the Bronson Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that opened in 2007. Most recently, CSM was a sponsor for the 2013 Bronson Children's Hospital Walk & Run and donated its expertise in the creation of a Comfort Suite at Bronson Battle Creek Cancer Care Center.
Steve East, CEO, states "At CSM we strongly believe that a healthy community provides critical foundational support for all socioeconomic advances. We also believe that everything from macro (institutional) to micro (grassroots) efforts are necessary to foster the multitude of health related initiatives essential to create a robust, agile and effective community wellness program. In that context, we see the Bronson Health Foundation as a gatekeeper and linchpin in the process with connectivity and comprehensive service support at all points in the continuum."
Thank you to CSM Group your strong support of Bronson and the communities we serve!
Bronson Commons Donor Event
On September 4, the Bronson Health Foundation hosted a celebration and open house to show gratitude for donors generously supporting the Bronson Commons campaign. Bronson Commons is a new all-private room healthcare facility in Mattawan that provides short-term nursing care and therapy for patients who need assistance following illness, injury or hospitalization. More than 100 guests arrived to tour the spectacular new facility - admiring the patient rooms and beautiful healing gardens.
To date, more than $340,000 from 63 individual donors and organizations has been raised toward the $500,000 goal the Foundation hopes to achieve.
Some extraordinary leadership gifts received include the sponsoring of our West Courtyard through philanthropy by one of our key vendor partners – Moore Electrical. This courtyard is done in memory of a young man that worked for Moore Electrical – on the Bronson Commons project – whom we sadly lost in an automobile accident a few months ago. While the loss of BJ Decker is painful - through philanthropy from his employer - countless patients, families, and staff at Bronson Commons will enjoy the serenity of the area in his memory.
Additionally, the Bronson Commons Library is provided to patients and families through a gift by Kalamazoo Anesthesiology in memory of Dr. Michael Kaiser who passed away in early 2012 after battling cancer. Untold numbers of people will enjoy this space for years to come because of the generosity of the group of docs who remember their late colleague.
Leadership gifts from the Lakeview Foundation and MPI Research made the other two courtyards possible, while the rehabilitation area was provided by gifts combined from members of the Bronson Healthcare Group board, members of the Bronson executive team, and members of the Bronson Health Foundation board.
Each of the 100 patient rooms is available for sponsorship through a donation of $3,000, which can be pledged over a period of 3 years. If you are interested in sponsoring a room, or making a donation of any size to Bronson Commons, please contact the Bronson Health Foundation at 269-341-8100 or healthfoundation@bronsonhg.org
Lake Michigan Mailers supports Bronson Children’s Hospital
After supporting the Bronson Children's Hospital Walk & Run for two consecutive years, we are happy to announce that Lake Michigan Mailers (LMM) has generously offered to be our Platinum Sponsor for this year's event.
LMM is not just a sponsor but a hands-on supporter of the Bronson Children's Hospital Walk & Run, as they are also one of our top teams registered to participate in the event! LMM President, David Rhoa, stated "Lake Michigan Mailers has always been committed to the communities in which we live and work. We regularly demonstrate that commitment through in-depth engagement with worthy institutions - like Bronson Children's Hospital - that represent the very best our communities have to offer."
Lake Michigan Mailers, Inc. is a leading provider of document management, mail assembly, mail processing, presorting, data management, digital marketing and distribution services to companies, schools, colleges and universities, health care providers, governmental entities and organizations throughout the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. Thank you Lake Michigan Mailers for your continued support!
Collin Crandall and Jacob Baird's Room of Magic
Collin Crandall and Jacob Baird of Vicksburg are unstoppable when it comes to Bronson Children’s Hospital's Room of Magic — a project the boys have been raising money to support over the last three years. The idea started when Collin, age 7 at the time, wanted to do something nice to help other children. His first fundraiser was asking family and friends to give money instead of presents for his birthday, raising $500. His friend Jacob joined him to help and the two set a goal of $10,000 for the Children’s Hospital. That goal was met in August 2010 after several fundraising events. To date, the boys have raised close to $15,000 for the room.
Their next goal is set pretty high: $10 million. As Jacob told a Kalamazoo Gazette reporter last summer, “We heard about someone who raised $1 million for a children’s hospital in Texas, so we wanted to beat it.” Their journey has meant so much to them that the boys recently wrote and illustrated a picture book with the help of some friends about their experience and presented it to the Bronson Health Foundation as a special gift.
North Park Reformed Church's Children's Hospital Murals
When congregants of North Park Reformed Church were looking for a special way to mark their church’s 100th anniversary, they decided to do something for the community. They chose to work with the Bronson Health Foundation to enhance two new pediatric sedation suites at Bronson Children’s Hospital. The church’s philanthropic leadership helped create a soothing atmosphere for pediatric patients to be in while undergoing painful and often scary medical procedures. Their gift gave rise to whimsical murals, computers and gaming systems, DVD players, sound system, movies and music, as well as functional items like furnishings and medical equipment.
Jean and Alfredo DiMarino's Gift of Healing Arts
Jean and Alfredo DiMarino shared a lifelong interest in the arts as well as an interest in health and wellness. After Alfredo’s death in 2007, Jean chose to establish the DiMarino Healing through Culture Endowment Fund to recognize his deep appreciation for the arts, particularly classical music. Proceeds from this endowment help promote the health environment at Bronson by expanding the presence of music and other art forms through the hospital.
“My motivation was my love for Alfredo and trying to keep alive his enthusiasm for the arts,” says Jean. “I want the art provided through the fund to help patients feel healthier or happier, just as Alfredo said the art at Bronson and his favorite music affected him.”
