The MACC Fund goes all the way back to 1976. As he retired from the Milwaukee Bucks, John McGlocklin was looking ahead to the next chapter of his life.
Mike Bielawski, MACC Fund Director of Development, said, “The Bucks had kind of encouraged him to start something so they could kind of shine that spotlight of athletics on and do some good with."
McGlocklin looked at his friend Eddy Doucette and had the answer.
“The MACC Fund is really the impetus of Eddy's son Brett being diagnosed with leukemia two years prior to that,” says Becky Pinter, the MACC Fund’s President and CEO. ”Cure rates were, as I said, not so great at that time.”
“He did survive, he's kind of the first quote-unquote success story of the MACC Fund,” Bielawski adds.
That first year that McGlocklin and Doucette started the MACC Fund, they raised $35,000. Not bad – but things would only get better.
“Now fast forward 46 years later, we've contributed - not raised but contributed - just over 80 million dollars to research,” Bielawski says.
Only research – nothing else.
“We don't send kids to Disney World, we don't renovate bedrooms or hospital rooms. That stuff is excellent, well, and good. It has its place it's just not what we're focused on,” Bielawski says. “We're solely focused on finding a cure.”
"It is all research,” Pinter adds.
And all that money has gone a long way.
“From 1976 when the MACC Fund was first started, cure rates were 20 percent, now they're upwards of 80 percent, some of them as high as 92 or 93 percent,” Pinter says.
“If your child does not fall into that 80 percent, it's a meaningless stat so we certainly won't rest until we're at 100 percent,” Bielawski says.
“Means I’m out of a job, which is wonderful,” says Pinter. “I love the MACC Fund, I’ve always wanted to work for the MACC Fund, it's near and dear to my heart, but if getting to that 100% cure rate means I need to go out and find another job, I’m willing to do that.”
There are so many ways to help the MACC Fund reach its goal of curing all childhood cancers and related blood disorders. There are tons of great auction items – from Brewers tickets to signed Packers memorabilia. Place your bids now.
