May 1st marked the 9th annual Garding Against Cancer Event, as Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard and his wife Michelle hosted over 600 people at the Kohl Center to support and recognize the Garding Against Cancer initiative that has done tremendous work across the state of Wisconsin.
Gard, who spent time with the media before the event, acknowledged that the initiative is hoping to cross the $11 million mark this year in its ninth year.
“It’s gotten beyond our wildest imaginations,” Gard said
about Garding Against Cancer Event. “Obviously, this is year 9 and it’s grown to something we would have never envisioned 9 years ago. And the fact that we’re at capacity again tonight just speaks volumes to the support that we have that’s come. Well, people from all over the state here tonight, obviously, having 3 of our own Badger coaches join me here with Mike [Hastings], Mark [Johnson], and Kelly [Sheffield] is special. But most importantly, just the impact we’re being able to make.
“We’ll cross hopefully the $11 million mark tonight in 9 years. So I can’t say enough about the support. Obviously, our name goes on it, but there are so many people that have their fingerprints on this to make this as hugely successful as it is. And ultimately, at the end of the day, we’re helping people a few blocks away at the Carbone Center, but also across the state.”
But, an initiative of this magnitude doesn’t come without a lot of helping hands, and there has been a ton of support, with everyone coming together to join a meaningful cause.
“I think we’ve got great partnership from across campus with the UW Foundation, the Alumni Association, UW Health, the Carbone Center, obviously from the athletic department here,” Gard said. “Everybody’s jumped on board, and I think they realize the impact that this has made across the state, and that really was the driving force behind the creation of this, is to really impact in a positive way the residents of Wisconsin and really open a door and give them access and knowledge to, if they have to face a cancer diagnosis, what all the resources are right here in Madison.”
“And then also across [the state], you know, we’re branched, I think, pretty much in all 72 counties of the state. So they can, you know, locally get immediate access and then through the channels that have been set up across the state can get access to the Carbone Center. And, you know, when you get further away, travel is always hard for cancer patients, right? The statistics show that if you could stay closer to home during your treatment, the odds of success go up because you’re in your comfortable environment. So to be able to try to help with that too, and really, even though there’s not research centers across the state, only in Milwaukee and here in Madison, to be able to help at the grassroots level with patient care and initiatives all over the state. Like I said, we’ve crisscrossed— I totaled the miles— it’s over 4,300 miles we’ve put on in terms of going to and conducting events and planning for events over the last, you know, 8, 9 years. So the state has been very welcoming, and hopefully we’ve made a difference.”
What’s been the most rewarding part of the process for Gard?
“The people. The people. We never initiated this with a financial number in mind or with a how many people we wanted to put in the call center. We were going to start this in a tent in our backyard, you know, but it got so big so fast. But it’s the relationships and the people. I think with anything in life, that adds an extra layer of quality to it. Those things last, you know. The money comes and goes, right? Attendees come and go, but the relationships that we’ve developed, and quite frankly, it’s through sharing each other’s cancer story journeys.
“Early this was a lightning rod for my dad’s story in terms of people wanting to hear about that. And most specifically, they wanted to hear about it when they were going through it themselves. And that was very therapeutic for us, you know, in our family. And I think now it’s flipped the script where us being able to have access and be available for people has very therapeutic for them. And even if it’s watching, you know, as we’ve gone around the state, obviously I’ve met thousands of people with bad things in every corner of the state. That 2 hours of basketball on this court, or if we’re playing away, that they can escape from the awfulness of their normal day of the cancer, cancer fight, gives them an escape. I always tell our team, when we have the GAC game or whenever, you have to understand how fortunate we are, and there’s a lot of people out there that are much less fortunate. So if we can give them a 2-hour window of happiness and escape to watch the Badgers, and that is part of their therapy too, and part of hopefully their recovery.”
In partnership with the Carbone Cancer Center, the organization has been working to help benefit cancer research and patient care in the state of Wisconsin.
