Donation offer could save Gilda's Club programs

Shorewood — A Brown Deer businessman has offered $500,000 to keep the cancer support programs offered at Gilda's Club afloat.

Stan Kass, whose wife of 56 years, Lee, died of cancer in May, gave Trish Haudricourt, the executive director at Gilda's Club, a phone call right out of a Hollywood script. Earlier this summer he donated $8,000 for the fireworks at the Brown Deer Fourth of July celebration but he wanted to donate more money in his wife's memory.

Kass was watching a television news report done by Scott Steele on the closing of the cancer support center even as the Club's Board of Directors was meeting to close its door. Kass was moved to call and offer money from a life insurance policy that he and Lee took out seven years ago.

Gilda's Club, heavily damaged in the both the July 15 and 22 floods, was closing, due to the $50,000 damage but also to the cost of operation and a downturn in donations since the recession began in 2008.

"Stan called and said I must talk to the woman I just saw on TV," Haudricourt said.

She took the phone call, and 30 minutes later walked back into her board meeting to update them on the amazing phone call.

It's not every day that a person calls and makes an offer like that, but Haudricourt learned it was very much on the up and up.

Kass initially thought that paying off the mortgage for the club house would help keep it open, but Haudricourt said that even with the mortgage paid, there was no money to keep operating the programs.

"Paying off the mortgage doesn't help people with cancer," she said.

Kass agreed.

"I didn't know they have a support system for the families and I could have used it," he said. "This was found money and we (Lee and Stan) talked about it before she died. She thought maybe we could use it for cancer research or anything to do with cancer."

He and his sons, Mark, Lenny and Mike, met with Haudricourt this week to discuss a plan to keep the programs.

Haudricourt said she expects to develop a six-month business plan with the board and show the Kass family that plan.

"What Mr. Kass is doing is such a wonderful story," Haudricourt said. "He and his sons will continue free cancer support for people in the Milwaukee area."

Haudricourt is hoping the donation can be a lead donation that could spark additional support for programming.

Another benefactor is also helping the organization, now called Gilda's on the Go because it has lost its club house.

Support programs have moved to the Jewish Community Center.

"They have offered us space for as long as we need it," Haudricourt said.

Park Bank, which holds the mortgage on Gilda's House, is working with Haudricourt and the board to help them sell the building.

More work needs to be done, to sell the house, to develop a business plan, but, for the moment, the loss of the valuable cancer support programs appears to have been stopped.