We all have anticipated the Trivia Night since the beginning of the year and are very pleased to inform you the event was an overall success! Together, we raised $20,814.00 to benefit the American Family Children’s Hospital (AFCH)! By the end of the night, we gave out over 75 prizes with a combined value of over $5,500! Our donation total included $0 for expenses because our promise was to give every dollar raised to AFCH instead of sacrificing a portion of our donation to sponsor this event. Here is how we came to our donation total:
- $3,842 in entry fees, mulligans, and other games
- $1,878 in raffle tickets
- $750 for the Watt Brothers football
- $4,269 in client donations
- $10,000 WDS client donation match*
*We realized the client donations were not as high as we had anticipated however, despite the lower client donation level, WDS chose to contribute our maximum match of $10,000!
Prior to the event, we reached out to our AFCH representative, Lori Schultz, and asked if it would be possible to find an AFCH patient and their family to speak at our Trivia Night about their experiences with the AFCH. Just days before the event, Lori informed WDS that Ruthie and Bodhi O’Rourke were planning to attend and share their story at our event! We feel very fortunate that on a Friday night this AFCH family was excited to be a part of our festivities. Ruthie is the mother of AFCH patient, Bodhi O’Rourke (pictured below). From the beginning of the evening and all through the end of the night Ruthie continued to remind us how amazing our event was turning out to be. Unfortunately, Bodhi was not feeling well the day of our event and could not attend to share the excitement with her. In between the 1st and 2nd rounds of trivia, Ruthie stood in-front of the room and shared Bodhi’s journey. Bodhi is the second youngest of the five children in the O’Rourke family. His journey with AFCH started when he was just 2 ½ years old after being diagnosed with leukemia. Despite the obstacles and daily battles he faces, Ruthie describes Bodhi as a “happy, silly, and brave little boy.” Bodhi is now 4 years old and still faces challenges with his fearless courage. In Ruthie’s speech, she talked more about AFCH and explained their doctor’s plans for Bodhi’s future. They hope to no longer need treatments by the end of summer 2019. We send our best wishes to Bodhi and the O’Rourke family as they continue their journey with AFCH and show us all what it takes to be “Bodhi Strong.”
The impact of this event will be something the O’Rourke family that will never forget. It was an honor to have met Ruthie that evening. Ruthie’s presence reminded all of us that our gifts will make a significant difference in the lives of many children and families. We thank each of our clients who contributed by sending donations to help us make a greater difference that evening.
Again, we are truly grateful for your contribution to help our first Trivia Night to be an overall success. We look forward to growing this event for next year’s Trivia Night!
We hope to see you there!
