sharing stories of hope and courage
A Newsletter for Friends of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital
Fall 2013
Glenn Korff estate provides $1.5 million
for pediatric rehabilitation
F
ormer Nebraskan Glenn Korff
left a legacy for improving
children’s lives through a
generous gift of $1.5 million to
Madonna, donated from his estate
after his passing on Aug. 27, 2013.
Glenn was a loyal supporter of
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital.
Just after Christmas in 2000,
Glenn’s father, lumberyard owner
Paul Korff, suffered a massive
stroke at his home in Hebron.
He was admitted to Madonna in
January of 2001. At the time Paul
was admitted to Madonna, Glenn
related to staff that he was certain
that, “God sent us to Madonna.”
After their father’s death, Glenn
and his brother, Ken, established
the Paul W. and Esther L. Korff
Endowment Fund to honor their
parents’ memory and support the
areas of greatest need at Madonna
into the future.
Glenn’s own health declined this
year and about a month before
he died, he reached out to the
Madonna Foundation and asked
how he could help. From that
conversation, he laid the plans in
his estate to give the Madonna
Foundation $1.5 million upon his
death. One million dollars will create
the “Glenn Korff Pediatric Legacy
Fund” to sustain the pediatric
programming in the Alexis Verzal
Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital.
The remaining $500,000 will serve
as additional funding for the already
established “Paul W. and Esther L.
Korff Endowment Fund.”
Annual payouts from the Glenn
Korff Pediatric Legacy Fund will
provide support for:
• Katherine Anne “Kit” Scott
Therapeutic Learning Center
(TLC) TLC is the only on-site,
classroom-based hospital
program of its kind in the
region. TLC services are
offered at no cost to patients.
• Pediatric Equipment This fund
supports new technology to
help children regain their lives.
• Other Pediatric Support:
Pediatric funds that support
therapy teams in working with
children and their families.
“Glenn’s caring heart will ensure
that children recovering from dis-
abling injuries or illness will achieve
the very best possible outcomes
for years into the future,” said Marsha Lommel, president and CEO.
According to his attorney and
friends, Glenn had hoped to make
this gift during his lifetime, but he
simply ran out of time. Madonna
has lost a longtime friend in Glenn,
but his deep concern for children
will be sustained through his
special legacy gift.
Introducing
the Madonna
Wishing Well . . .
Just in time for the holidays, here
is a gift for the person who has
everything. You can make a gift in
honor of a friend or loved one by
visiting the Madonna Wishing Well
website that features everything
from board games for patients to
use in recreation therapy to sports
wheelchairs for the equipment
loaner pool. Your tax deductible gift
allows us to purchase these items
to enhance outcomes and improve
the quality of our patients’ lives. To
explore the Wishing Well, please
visit: www.madonna.org/supporter/
wishingwell.html
2 | FOCUS Newsletter
Generosity takes children’s rehab to the next level
The Madonna
Foundation offers
special thanks
to the following
organizations and
individuals whose
generous gifts
helped make this project a reality:
Cintani Foundation, Gardner Foundation,
GE Foundation, Hawkins Family Foundation,
B. Keith & Norma F. Heuremann Foundation,
Kolterman Agency, Lincoln Community
Foundation, Lester A. Walker Foundation,
Canalica Bicoy, Joan Blair, Drs. Robert and
Stacie Bleicher, Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Brester,
Mr. and Mrs. John Campbell, Jr.,
Dr. and Mrs. Patrick Clare, Mr. and Mrs.
Richard J. Claussen, Curtis Cochran, Jr.,
Josephine Duggan, Stan Edelstein,
Robert and Donna Ewoldt, Monsignor
John Folda, Lindsey Frohn, Mr. and Mrs.
Simon Gallagher, Colleen Gerelman,
Mr. and Mrs.Tom Gourley, Judge Donald
Grant and Dr. Carmen Grant, Jason and
Michelle Grieser, Dee Hahn, Ron and Chris
Harris, Mr. and Mrs. Kirk Hartman, Mr. and
Mrs. Harry Hayden, Mr. and Mrs. Eric Hofer,
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Hoskins, Beverly
Jackson, Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Jensen,
Mr. and Mrs. Ray L. Koch, The J. Gates
Minnick Family, Thomas J. Newman,
Dr. Valentine D. Nowicki, Jr., Mr. and Mrs.
Jerry D. O’Brien, Rhonda and Tom Peed,
Four-year-old Molly Felker from Omaha enjoys the new wheelchair swing thanks to a
gift from Gates and Daisy Minnick.
T
hanks to a $470,000 gift from Rhonda and Thomas Peed of
the Peed Foundation and Sandhills Publishing, Madonna has
taken a major step forward by relocating and renovating its
outpatient pediatric therapy services.
The opening of the St. Cecilia’s Outpatient Pavilion in October
of this year includes the construction of a pediatric therapy gym,
private treatment rooms – including a feeding and swallowing room,
and a reception area with an engaging 250 gallon fish aquarium.
The new outpatient facility also features a 1,850 square foot
outdoor therapeutic playground with a wheelchair swing.
The renovation allowed for the relocation of Kit’s Academy
Therapeutic Learning Center, an on-site school that helps children
be successful as they transition back into the classroom.
“We are most grateful to Rhonda and Tom Peed and Sandhills
Publishing for their long history of support of Madonna, but especially
for this gift that will help transform the lives of our youngest patients,”
said Madonna President and CEO Marsha Lommel.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Piti, William Primrose,
Gaylord E. Rachow, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Radil,
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Ramsey, Mr. and
Mrs. Robert L. Reynoldson, Paul Sanderfer,
Herbert* and Barbara Schliesser, Mr. and
Mrs. Daniel T. Scully, Sr., Harley Shoemaker,
Len Sloup and Sue Quambush, Mr. an
Mrs. Thomas C. Smith, Suzanne and Scott
Sughroue Family, Brandon and Tiffany
Verzal, Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Verzal, Mr.
and Mrs. Richard J. Vierk, Donna W. Woods
Family and Nicole Zitek.
*Deceased
In addition to serving as an effective therapy tool, the outdoor playground provides a
wonderful place for patients and families to relax.
FOCUS Newsletter | 3
Donors score big for Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program
M
adonna patients are “on the ball” and
“back in the game” thanks to recent
gifts to Madonna’s Adaptive Sports
and Recreation Program:
• The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation awarded
Madonna a $12,000 grant to launch a
sports wheelchair/hand cycle loaner pool.
• Coloplast Corp’s gift of $5,000 supports
tournament activities for tennis, golf and
basketball.
• The United States Tennis Association
awarded Madonna a $5,300 grant
to support coaching, events, open
recreations times and equipment for the
hospital’s adaptive tennis program. The
USTA Missouri Valley Section also donated
$250 toward the Wheelchair Tennis
Classic in August.
• Coventry Health Care continued its
ongoing support of Adaptive Sports and
Recreation with a $750 grant for the winter
wheelchair basketball invitational.
• Madonna Board member Kevin Werts
donated $1,000 for a marksmanship
program.
Last year, more than 900 patients and
community members participated in Adaptive
Sports and Recreation. Thanks to these
generous gifts, more people in the community
and region are able to participate.
Recreation therapist Rick Haith (left) introduces a hand cycle from Madonna’s
loaner pool to Dennis Weaver who suffered orthopedic injuries and a
traumatic brain injury in a car accident.
Chris Parnell is one of Madonna’s
competitive tennis players who
has used funds from United States
Tennis Association grants to travel to
tournaments outside the region.
Coloplast and Coventry Health Care
support the Madonna Magic and
regional wheelchair basketball.
Introducing the Madonna Foundation Leadership Team
In preparation for the addition of a
Madonna Omaha campus, the hospital has
opened a Foundation office in Omaha with
John Glenn serving as Vice President of
Development for Madonna Omaha.
Suzanne Sughroue is serving as Director
of Development for Madonna Lincoln.
The next issue of the Focus Newsletter
will feature an update on the Madonna
Omaha campus initiative.
4 | FOCUS Newsletter
World’s Foremost Bank spreads hope through new fund
A
Thanks to the First Hope Equipment Fund,
McKenzie Ocker uses her transport chair to
take her places that her power chair can’t go.
motorized power wheelchair has taken McKenzie Ocker
most of the places she wants to go throughout her young life,
whether it’s the halls of East High School where she is on the
cheer squad or the court of a power soccer game where she’s one of
Madonna’s star players.
Yet up until recently, McKenzie had not been able to fully participate
in her church’s Pathfinder Campout because her power chair could
not navigate the rough trails or fit on the camp bus. Thanks to the First
Hope Equipment Fund at Madonna, McKenzie was able to apply for
a lightweight, portable transport chair for special family, church and
social events.
The First Hope Equipment Fund opened new doors for McKenzie and
other Madonna patients this year thanks to a four- year commitment of
$100,000 from World’s Foremost Bank.
Other recipients include:
• A patient with a spinal cord injury received a sports wheelchair. He
plans to join the Madonna Magic wheelchair basketball team.
• A non-verbal patient with spina bifida and autism who suffers from
seizures received an iPad as a way to communicate with his family
and peers.
• Two neuromuscular stimulation units for the arm were ordered for
a pre-schooler who suffered an intrauterine stroke and a pediatric
patient who was severely burned as a toddler.
If you would like to join the World’s Foremost Bank in extending
hope to children and adults in need of equipment, please contact the
Madonna Foundation at 402-413-4777.
Golf sponsors drive home a memorable event
T
Larry the Cable Guy, who participated in the
“Sponsor Scramble,” greets one of the National
Amputee Golf Championship competitors.
his past summer, Madonna co-sponsored the 65th Annual
National Amputee and 24th National Senior Amputee Golf
Championships August 11-16 at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course.
Thank you to the following generous sponsors for your support:
Putting Green Sponsors: Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics,
Sampson Construction and Sandhills Publishing.
Tee Sponsors: Linpepco, Don Munson Family, VIDEGO and
Wells Fargo.
Hole Sponsors: Ameritas, Bridgestone, Cornerstone Print and
Marketing, Eakes Office Plus, First National Bank, Lau Financial Group
(D.A. Division), Lincoln Journal Star, Northwestern Mutual, Union Bank
& Trust and US Bank.
Generous Support: Aeroteck Staffing Agency, Doug Albers,
ExMark, Hail Varsity, Hillcrest Country Club, Lindbeck Photography,
Mobility Motoring. Proforma Print and Promotional Images, SoloRider,
SouthPointe Pavilions, Specially For You, Starbucks, Valentino’s,
Whitehead Oil/U-Stop, Woods Brothers, Yankee Hill Golf Course and
Zipline Brewing Company.
FOCUS Newsletter | 5
Senator LaVon Crosby holds distinction as Madonna’s
longest consecutive donor
A
lthough her service as a
Nebraska state senator is a
matter of public record, there
may be a few things you don’t know
about retired Senator LaVon Crosby.
For instance:
• She is an accomplished pipe
organist who holds a degree
in sacred music from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
• She takes notes in shorthand.
• She was a wedding singer who
would earn $2 per wedding in
her native Hastings, Neb.
• She served as executive
secretary to the publisher of the
Hastings Tribune who later went
on to become Secretary of the
Interior under President Dwight
D. Eisenhower.
• And she is the longest
consecutive donor to the
Madonna Foundation.
The final distinction earns Senator
Crosby the top spot in Madonna’s”
1958 Society” – a recognition
group for donors who have made
a gift to Madonna for at least five
consecutive years. In the case of
Senator Crosby – it has been 34
consecutive years.
That type of loyalty comes from a
special connection Senator Crosby
attributes to a combination of life
events that exposed her family to
Madonna and the great people they
met along the way.
Senator Crosby first became
involved with Madonna through the
hospital’s Summer Festivals which
were held in the 1970s. Her Altar
Society Circle at the Cathedral of the
Risen Christ was asked by hospital
president, Sr. Phyllis Hunhoff, to
make baked goods to sell at the
festival. “Sr. Phyllis is a hard person
to say ‘no’ to,” she recalls.
Several other important life events
have linked the Crosby family to
Madonna over the years. Her late
husband, Governor Robert Crosby
moved his father to Madonna from
North Platte and became acquainted with many of the long-term care
patients and staff.
That close bond continued
when the Governor’s good friend,
Monsignor Thomas Kealy suffered
a stroke and moved to Madonna in
the 1980s. Governor Crosby visited
him every Saturday and got to
know many of the other residents
too. During this time, the Crosbys
reconnected with Sr. Phyllis Hunhoff
and she asked Governor Crosby to
join the board of directors.
Two other events brought
Madonna to the forefront of the
Crosby’s lives. The first was a
car accident that critically injured
Senator Crosby’s niece, Kathy, in
1984. The UNL student took the
brunt of the crash, enduring a
traumatic brain injury that left her
unable to speak for the last 30 years
and a leg amputation. She spent
nine months at Madonna.
Therapists asked her niece if
there was anything that she really
wanted to do. She immediately
wrote the words: “Go back to
school.” With a supportive network,
Kathy was able to finish her degree.
The other event happened on
February 3, 1998, when Governor
Crosby suffered a massive
stroke. Following his acute care
hospitalization, he transferred to
Madonna for rehabilitation, but
ultimately passed away on January
7, 2000. Senator Crosby designated
the memorials to the Madonna
Foundation. The family selected
a fountain and many members of
Governor Crosby’s law firm joined
family relatives in contributing.
Senator Mike Johanns, then governor
of the state, spoke at the dedication
of the “Honorable Robert Crosby
Memorial Garden” which is located
on the lower level of Madonna.
In her retirement, Senator Crosby
continues to support organizations
that are meaningful to her and help
people in need. The Madonna
Foundation is most grateful to be
among the organizations that are
close to her heart.
Madonna
Foundation
Board of Directors
Officers
Lisa Smith, Chair
Smith Hayes Financial Services
Marsha Lommel, President & CEO
Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital
and Foundation, President
Greg Vasek, Vice Chair
Linweld (retired, president)
Tawnya Starr, Secretary
Firespring
Kevin Werts, Treasurer
World’s Foremost Bank
Directors
Debbie Hallock
Cousins, Etc.
David Sundberg
Mass Mutual Financial Group (retired)
Dan Vokoun
Sampson Construction
To contact the Madonna
Foundation, please call
402-413-4777.
6 | FOCUS Newsletter
Grateful patient family celebrates
exceptional care
Katie Felton (center in pink) celebrates her recovery with 13 of her 51 Madonna Angels.
T
o show their gratitude for the excellent care and compassion
shown to their daughter, Katie, by employees in a variety of
hospital departments, the Felton family from Ord, Neb., presented
staff with Madonna Angel Wings honors.
The Madonna Angel Wings project is a grateful patient program in which
patients, residents and their families can make a gift to the Madonna
Foundation in honor of an employee or volunteer who made a difference
in their care.
In the case of the Felton Family, a total of 51 employees and two
departments received Angel Wings recognition. According to Katie’s
mom, Becky Felton, “When we decided to give Angel Wings, we thought
how can we possibly thank everyone who helped in Katie’s recovery.
What you do at Madonna is incredible. We want to commend your
institution, your mission and your values of caring.”
To honor an exceptional caregiver, visit www.madonna.org and click
on the “Madonna Supporter” tab.
Save money
while helping
Madonna
If you have a smart phone, you
can help raise money for the
Madonna Foundation by actually
saving money! The Madonna
Foundation is now registered
with “Pickit”. Each time you use
the “Pickit” app to save money at
a restaurant or store, Madonna
will get half the proceeds from
the offer.
Here is how it works:
1. Get the Pickit App for your
smart phone.
2.Pick two organizations to
support.
3.Use coupons and deals at
local restaurants and stores.
4.Each use, money goes
to support your two
organizations.
5.Help change Lincoln for a
better tomorrow!
Visit the Pickit Website at:
www.pickitmobile.com or watch
an informational video at:
https://vimeo.com/72927261
A gift of land . . . a lasting legacy
O
ver the years, friends of Madonna have
benefitted from donations of farm land or
other property to the Madonna Foundation.
Donations of land can be arranged as part of
a bequest in your will or estate plan. In the case
of farm land, you also have the option of making
an arrangement to gift your farm to the Madonna
Foundation now, but retain a “lifetime estate.”
Through this option, you can continue to earn annual
rental income. Additional significant tax benefits are
possible with such a gift.
If you would like to discuss the advantage of
making a gift of your land to the Madonna Foundation,
please contact Suzanne Sughroue at 402-413-4782,
[email protected] or Brian Schenk at 402-4134783, [email protected].