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2024 Leaving a Legacy Gala –

Thank you on behalf of the Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation and all the patients who have used and will use the ‘Harold and Carmen Poulsen Legacy House’. Your support of our fifth annual Leaving a Legacy Gala means the world to our organization.

This year’s Leaving a Legacy Gala successfully raised over $151,000! 100% of the Leaving a Legacy Gala proceeds go towards our mission of sustaining our free patient housing. Your Support of this event directly impacts patients by reducing their stress and financial burden. No matter the road that brought them to the Legacy House, guests all merge onto the same path with us. Thank you for joining us for a remarkable and memorable evening and helping to leave a legacy!

Great Falls Clinic Vision Center Gets an Update!

Great Falls Clinic Specialty Center

Great Falls Clinic Vision Center Gets an Update!

In February 2022 a benefactor reached out the Great Falls Clinic interested in donating to the Vision Center. Miss Robyne ‘Missi’ Phillips has been a generous benefactor of the Legacy Foundation for several years. This time, she had such a great experience with the Clinic’s Vision Center, that she knew she wanted to help anyway she could.

Missi and Dr. McCafferty with the new Autorefractor

Thanks to Missi’s donation to the Legacy Foundation, the Vision Center was able to purchase several new specialty vision tools. One of the items purchased was a new autorefractor. According to Dr. McCafferty, the autorefractor “has helped for more rapid and accurate refractions for glasses.” Other items included an indirect ophthalmoscope and a new iCare machine to measure eye pressure.

“These purchases have helped streamline the day-to-day vision clinic operations as a whole,” said Dr. McCafferty. The Legacy Foundation was then gifted the remaining dollars after the purchases were made. Donations like Missi’s help keep the Legacy House operating at the highest of standards.

Thank you, Missi, for being a generous donor of the Legacy Foundation and making our services, and the Vision Center’s services better!

Autorefractor
New Vision Center technology

Legacy Busy Months

Glass Half Full to Glass Overflowing

The Legacy House has been open since September 2021. As detailed in our 2022 Annual Report, we had 474 guests stay with us in the months since opening. What we could not have foreseen is what the new year would bring. In 2022 our busiest month was October with 46 completed stays. And January 2023, has blown that statistic out of the water.

January 2023 saw 58 referrals and guest stays completed, with over 20 referrals having been cancelled due to weather, illness, or appointment cancellations! And if you thought that was impressive, February having only 28 days, has seen more referrals than January.

60 referrals and guest stays were completed as of today, February 28th, 2023.

With only being 2 months into the year, we have reached 25% of the capacity that was reached in 16 months. March has 26 referrals already scheduled, with more arriving every day. We couldn’t be happier to be so busy. We strive to bring healing to our patients by providing them relief from financial burdens, and safety in our facility. The knowledge of being able to help patients eases the load, and makes work feel great.

…However, if you know of someone who has plenty of time on their hands, we are searching for volunteers to help clean on the days that we do not have housekeeping and laundry. Inquiries can be sent to morgan.cinnamon@gfclinic.com.

(P.S. SOS, my hands are very, very dry -Morgan)

Miracle on 15th Avenue

Miracle on 15th Avenue

Christmas came a little early!

The Harold and Carmen Poulsen Legacy House was visited early by Santa’s helpers. Every year the Great Falls Clinic chooses several local charities to support around the holidays. Employees are encouraged to support these organizations in any way they are able. This year GFC focused on 3 local charities: Angels in Camo: for local Veterans and Families, Wallet Stuffer: fundraiser for local foster care families, and Stocking Stuffer: for the Legacy House. To learn how the Great Falls Clinic was able to give back to Veterans and Foster Families, please click here. We are so proud to be a part of such a caring and giving team!

The Great Falls Clinic’s very own Oncology department organized a stocking stuffer this year for the Legacy House. Over 20 different employees donated and stuffed these stockings full of love. 50% of patients and guests that stay at the Legacy House are cancer patients, so we have a lot of love for the Oncology department. Many of us have been impacted by cancer. It takes a toll physically, mentally, financially, and emotionally, on not only the patient but their families as well. This year’s stocking stuffer fundraiser helps ease their minds and spread a little bit of cheer this year.

Thank you to Jessie Hall and her husband Staff Sergeant David Hall, Anna Bowman, and Jessie Harris for helping organize this fundraiser for the Legacy House. The team brought 25 stockings (5 children’s, 6 men’s, and 14 women’s), tons of supplies, and games, coloring books, and more! The stockings were full of treats, games, socks, gift cards, lotions, and Holiday cheer. The supplies will help keep the Legacy House rooms stocked and clean!

Pictured left to right: Staff Sergeant David Hall, Jessie Hall, Jessie Harris, and Anna Bowman

While we are here for our patients with love and open arms, we wish this wasn’t a need in our community. But while there is a need, we will be here for them and their families this holiday season and every season to come. Guests who stay in the house over the next several weeks will each receive a stocking.

From the Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation, Great Falls Clinic Hospital, and the Great Falls Clinic Oncology Department – Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Guests of the Legacy House, Betty and her sister Cindy, who received the first stockings! Posted with permission.

Tough Enough to Wear Pink Central Montana Partnership!

Grant Bebee holding a large check from TETWP
TETWP large check in front of fireplace

Tough Enough to Wear Pink Central Montana and the Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation have partnered together to bring hope and healing to Cancer patients traveling to the Great Falls Clinic.

In October of 2022, Anna Morris with Tough Enough to Wear Pink Central Montana (TETWP-CM), contacted us about items that could be purchased and used within the Legacy House. Morgan, Foundation Coordinator, sent her an email the next day with a large “wish list” of items that had been saved on Amazon. These items were things needed for the Legacy House but had not yet been purchased. Things like lamps with USBs, more quilts, top sheets, shelving units, bookcases, bathmats, and more. These items would help our guests be more comfortable, and the Legacy House be more organized.

Over the next several days, packages upon packages upon packages arrived at the Legacy House. The picture below is only about 60% of all the packages received! While Ms. Morris asked Morgan to provide an extensive list, we had not expected for everything to be purchased. In total, TETWP-CM purchased the Legacy House over $3,000 worth of items to improve our facility!

  • 2 Snow Shovels
  • 10 Tall Lamps with Reading Lamps
  • 12 Table Lamps with 2 USB ports
  • 4 Steel Shelving units
  • 3 Book Cases
  • 6 Overhead Kitchen Lights
  • Many Hand Towels, Bath Towels, Wash Rags, Small Towels
  • 5 King Blankets, 5 Queen Blankets
  • 6 King Top Sheets, 6 Queen Top Sheets
  • 16 Bathmats

Morgan worked tirelessly day and night (not really, though it did take several days) to assemble shelves, bookcases, lamps, and many loads of laundry! Where rooms like our library and maintenance room were disorganized (not messy), they are now much easier for guests (and employees) to navigate. Bedrooms were upgraded with new table lamps with USB ports for easier charging access and the new lighting increased the light within the room. The bookcases tied the living area together with all the movies being displayed in an easy to navigate way. Guests are now able to browse through our selection of books, games, and puzzles in an easy, safe manner.

But that is not all that TETWP has done for the Legacy Foundation. The amount donated to the Legacy Foundation was a total of $15,000, and the purchase was just over $3,000. So where is the remaining $12,000?

The remaining $12,000 exists in the form of Town Pump, Albertson’s, and Subway gift cards. These gift cards will help cancer patients traveling to Great Falls from 1 of 8 counties in Montana -Fergus, Judith Basin, Petroleum, Wheatland, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Meagher, and Garfield. This partnership will allow us to give these gift cards to cancer patients from these counties to help them with their journeys. Patients receive these gift cards while at the Oncology department, or they can come over to the Legacy House to receive them.

We are so grateful to the wonderful people at the Tough Enough to Wear Pink -Central Montana organization for learning and thinking about us. And to everyone who has ever donated to TETWP-CM and the Legacy House – Thank you.

Both organizations value one thing above all else – the patients. The patients are why we are here, and we are glad to partner up to continue helping patients on their journeys together.

Click the below Facebook icon to visit the Tough Enough to Wear Pink – Central Montana Facebook Page

#GivingTuesday 2021

#GivingTuesday, November 30, 2021, is an international day of giving. This year, we are pleased to share that we have two generous sponsors partnering with us for our annual #GivingTuesday events. Stockman Bank and My Viola have both partnered with us to bring a special and unique #GivingTuesday experience. Stockman Bank has pledged a matching grant up to $2,500 and My Viola is matching all flower arrangement costs.

This year, if you donate $50 or more to the Legacy Foundation for #GivingTuesday, we will hand deliver (Great Falls addresses only) a flower arrangement from My Viola with a personalized card, (donor’s choice of inscription) hand-written by a calligraphist. The donor and recipient (nominated person and/or company) will also be recognized in our annual report. Donors can be anonymous if they choose. The delivery location must be within the city limits of Great Falls, MT. To participate, please fill out the required information below. Donations must be received on or before November 30, 2021 to qualify.

image
My Viola bouquet

If you donate $49 or less to the Legacy Foundation for #GivingTuesday, the donor and nominated person will still be recognized in our annual report (must be more than $10). The donor and recipient (nominated person and/or company) will both receive a notification in the mail. Donors can be anonymous if they choose. To participate, please fill out the required information below. Donations must be received on or before November 30, 2021 to qualify.

Donations must be received on or before November 30, 2021 to qualify.

To participate in this fun event and join the cause, CLICK HERE!

For more information, please call (406) 216-8057 or email Audrey Phillips at audrey.phillips@gfclinic.com

Patient of the Month: David Berg

My name is Linda Berg. I am from Gilbert, Arizona, but I came to Great Falls with my father to offer support throughout his treatment. My father was diagnosed at the age of 86. He had fallen and broken his wrist and ribs, but while getting an X-ray on his ribs the Doctors found a tumor in his lung. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and lymphatic cancer in the chest cavity. His treatment entails five days of radiation and one day of chemo each week. My father lives 2 ½ hours from Great Falls, this would mean a 5 hour commute six days a week. The Legacy has been a blessing. It was very convenient and peaceful.

Linda and David Berg
Pictured: Linda with her father, David

There are so many people I need. It is amazing the generosity of those that provide a safe place for patients in a time of uncertainty. The burden of cancer is enough so to have the financial burden lifted is a great relief. We are very grateful. 

Donor of the Month: Kari Smith

September’s Donor of the Month is Kari Smith! Kari is the Environment of Care coordinator at the Great Falls Clinic for nearly a year. She is originally from Stanford, MT, but now lives in Great falls with her husband, Zach, and two kids, Kane, and Kaleigh. Kari heard about the Legacy Foundation from working at the Great Falls Clinic. She started donating monthly in March of 2021, but even before that she participated in our fundraisers and bought flowers from our flower shop, My Viola. She has not attended a fundraiser yet but is very excited to attend the 2021 Gala coming up in October.

Kari Smith Family
Kari with her husband Zach, and two children Kane, and Kaleigh

When asked what inspires her to donate Kari said, “The word ‘cancer’ isn’t a stranger to me. My grandpa passed away a little over 25 years ago from cancer, my mom had her own battle with cancer 10 years ago, and several other friends have been affected by cancer. It’s been one of the easiest decisions for me to start donating to the Legacy Foundation knowing that it will be helping several individuals and families for years.”

Some final thoughts Kari shared, “What I enjoy most about giving to the Legacy Foundation is that I know it will be providing individuals and families from surrounding areas a place of comfort during their courageous battles. I know the Legacy Foundation would have been used by my mom if it was around 10 years ago.”

Volunteers Wanted!

Do you want to give back to a cause that will serve the people around you? Come join us and volunteer at the Great Falls Clinic Legacy Foundation! We would love to work with you to help welcome patients who are traveling here for treatment.

Ways you can help:

  1. Laundry – just sheets and towels, but we would love to have some volunteers help us get laundry washed.
  2. Baking – Do you have a talent for baking? We would love to have you help us!
  3. Clerical – Help check in patients and run the Foundation from our side! We would love your help.

Have another strength that you think would be a real asset to our team? Let us know! Please reach out to the front desk at (406) 216-8057 or by email at cassandra.jones@gfclinic.com.

image of laundry

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