How often do you hear the words "I'm so busy….."
Life feels busier than ever. We are all busy…. family, careers, children, community activities and more. We continually pack more into every busy day.
Teri M. Wilczek
Chief Development officer
But busy isn't bad. In fact, many of us thrive on living an active life-style. When I look back at 2013, I am humbled by the "busy" people who shared their valuable time with us. Over 5,000 of you supported Marshfield Clinic and I know each of you has a story to share that motivated your gift or involvement.
Every year hundreds of volunteers give of their time to coordinate fundraising efforts to support a Clinic program that is meaningful to them. In each issue of BenchMarks, we highlight our volunteer fundraisers in our "Called to Action" feature. These people don't just talk about ideas, they make things happen. Week after week, we are overwhelmed by children, adults, schools, athletic teams, families and businesses who rally together to show their support. We never hear "We are too busy…" instead we kept hearing "How can we help?"
Last year, hundreds of busy patients took the time to honor a physician or staff member who made a difference in their care experience at Marshfield Clinic through our Shining Star program. Many patients wrote detailed testimonials about how their Shining Star impacted their experience. We commonly heard stories like these "My physician took the time to carefully explain my diagnosis; she was thorough and did not rush through my appointment. I know she is a busy physician, but she made me feel like the most important patient that day."
Runners, bikers, golfers, walkers, trap shooters, pool players and many other active enthusiasts travel from all over the state to attend our special events. Whether they are dressing in pink to show their support or creating a team of family and friends, these busy people rally around the causes near to their heart.
I wish I could share stories about every donor and volunteer who supports Marshfield Clinic. We recognize you have many ways you could spend your time and many organizations you could support, but you choose to make an impact with Marshfield Clinic, and for that we are grateful.
Thank you for taking the time to read BenchMarks to learn about how your support makes a difference and to enjoy stories of our amazing donors. Whether you read other Clinic publications or take the time to meet with someone from the Development staff, we appreciate your time and hearing about your story.
I also lead a busy life, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Thanks to all of you, I am continually humbled by your stories of inspiration and hope. We thank you for sharing your "busy" with us.
With gratitude,
Teri M. Wilczek
Chief Development officer
