McKee Wellness Foundation will celebrate 40 years of raising funds to support health and wellness in northern Colorado with its annual Gala for Wellness on Saturday, October 1st, 2022.
The celebration was delayed for one year due to Covid, so technically the foundation is 41 years old. Over the years, the foundation has reinvested $34 million in northern Colorado.
This year, the group will honor Mary Gullikson for nearly four decades of involvement with the foundation. This will be her 40th gala. Gullikson’s interest in supporting local health care stemmed from working as a therapeutic dietitian in a hospital. She said her first volunteer work involved driving cancer patients to Denver or Greeley for chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
“I thought ‘I want Loveland to have access to really good health care. We should have the best health care we can at our fingertips’,” she said.
In addition, executive director Kara Pappas said the foundation will introduce a new initiative to support patients receiving mental health care. Similar to other patient support programs, the foundation aims to cover the cost of transportation to appointments, rental assistance or co-pays so patients don’t have to sacrifice in order to receive treatment. The foundation also will provide financial support for continuing education in the behavioral health field.
The Gala for Wellness is 5 p.m. Oct. 1 at TPC Colorado in Berthoud. Tickets are $175 each and $350 per
couple. The formal evening includes dinner, live and silent auctions and dueling grand pianos. For more
information or to purchase tickets, visit here
