Mankato, MN (August 19, 2020) – The Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund (JZCF), a donor advised fund of the Mankato Area Foundation, is pleased to announce Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) has made a $100,000 contribution to the JZCF’s Box Love Campaign—making it the largest gift received by the campaign. The gift, which was provided back in early March, will be paid over five years. Including the generous gift from MCHS, the Box Love Campaign has raised $925,000, nearly 93 percent of their $1,000,000 goal.
“We are extremely grateful to Mayo Clinic Health System for their very generous gift,” said Tami Paulsen, Director of the Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund. “This major gift not only indicates support for the JZCF and our Caring Box program, but more importantly it demonstrates meaningful support for the many patients throughout the region who receive a cancer diagnosis. The JZCF truly values our strong collaboration and partnership with MCHS.”
The Box Love Campaign was launched in late 2018 with a goal of $1,000,000. This fundraising effort supports the JZCF’s signature program—the JZ Caring Box—which provides specially designed care packages, that contain items of support and comfort and access to information and resources to area cancer patients, their families and caregivers.
“Mayo Clinic Health System is proud to support the JZ Cancer Fund and the important work it does across southern Minnesota,” says James Hebl, M.D., regional vice president, Mayo Clinic Health System. “Through our partnership, we see firsthand how this amazing organization touches the lives of our patients and their families each and every day. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a supporting partner.”
“We are incredibly grateful to Mayo Clinic Health System for their commitment to this region through charitable giving,” said Nancy Zallek, President and CEO of Mankato Area Foundation. “Their generous support of both the JZ Cancer Fund and the Community Response Fund has been overwhelming, and we appreciate the confidence they have placed in MAF to make a difference in the communities we serve.”
Gifts to the Box Love Campaign have been contributed by hundreds of Mankato area businesses and individuals. The JZCF will officially be closing out the Box Love Campaign on August 31 and during the month of August, JZCF is asking the public to help raise the last $75,000 needed to reach the $1,000,000 goal. Donations can be made online at jzfullyalive.com or checks can be mailed to Mankato Area Foundation, 212 E Walnut Street, Suite 1, Mankato, MN 56001.
“All of us involved with the JZCF and the Box Love Campaign are thankful for the wonderful generosity of MCHS and so many businesses and community members,” Paulsen said. “We are very pleased to be so near our campaign goal and to know that we will be able to continue to touch the lives of those in our community who are affected by cancer.”
Since the JZ Caring Box program was launched in 2018, nearly 2,000 Caring Boxes have been distributed to area cancer patients. Caring Boxes are donated by JZCF to our medical provider partners, who then distribute them to their patients receiving a cancer diagnosis. In November 2019, the JZ Caring Box program, in collaboration with MCHS, expanded to the Lutz Cancer Center in Fairmont, Minnesota to support cancer patients in that region.
For more information, please visit jzfullyalive.com or call 507.389.4583.
About Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund
The Jonathan Zierdt Cancer Fund, a donor advised fund of the Mankato Area Foundation, was established in 2017 by Jonathan and Ginger Zierdt and a guiding coalition of engaged community leaders to build community cancer awareness and support. The fund is committed to community cancer awareness and support and has the vision of changing the cancer journey. For more information or to donate visit www.jzfullyalive.com.