The Heart of Gold Charity held its sixth annual Golf Outing Fundraiser on Aug. 4.
With 100 golfers and 70 additional dinner guests, Heart of Gold Charity held another successful fundraising event, which helped raise a little over $23,000.
Among the fundraiser festivities, Rich and Stephanie Petska were able to share what Heart of Gold Charity has contributed since they first started the charity: 485 gift bags to new heart families at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin; $19,000 to the Herma Heart Center at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to aide Congenital Heart Defect research; $9,500 to the Ronald McDonald House; $28,000 in medical scholarships to qualifying high school seniors at Badger, Johnsburg, Harvard, Munising, Richmond, and Wilmot High Schools.
Among the dinner guests was one of the 2012 scholarship recipients, Ashley Knoll.
Rich and Stephanie Petska founded Heart of Gold Charity in honor of their son, Braden. Braden was born with a very serious heart defect, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (without a left ventricle) in August of 2006.
Braden underwent two open heart surgeries, one at just six days old and the other at three months of age at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. Braden thrived for the next 2 ½ years of his life and was awaiting his third and final surgery set for June of 2009. Braden sadly passed away in March of 2009 from a sudden heart arrhythmia.
The Petska’s are very passionate about giving back to a place that gave them hope and a lifetime of memories with Braden during his short, little life (Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin). They are also keeping the spirit and “heart” of Braden alive through their mission.
For more information on Heart of Gold Charity, please visit www.heartofgoldcharity.org