What's bright, energetic, passionate about healthcare and LOVES the water? Answer: Todd Wuerger. In part 2 of our interview, Todd and I dive into a discussion (did you catch that deep pun?) about Mental Health First Aid classes which is just another way that the Sauk Prairie Healthcare Foundation works to keep our community well. The lessons he has learned throughout his life, as well as the keys to staying healthy are shared abundantly throughout our conversation. He was truly a JOY to talk with, and a bright spot of hope in these dark Pandemic days.
Todd graduated from UW-Milwaukee’s business school in 1992 and in 1998 completed his master’s degree in business administration from the UW-Whitewater. He worked as a manager of physician engagement at the Wisconsin Medical Society before joining the Foundation in March 2018.
He remains active in the community by coaching the Sauk Prairie High School boys and girls swim teams where he has three times been awarded Division 1 Coach of the Year by the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.
Todd lives in Sauk City with his wife, Julie who is a Director of Large Group Retention at Quartz Benefits Solutions. They have three children, Donovan, Stella and Wilson.
Announcer 0:04
Welcome to frame of reference informed intelligent conversations about the issues and challenges facing everyone in today's world, in depth interviews with salt counties, leaders and professionals to help you expand in and form your frame of reference, brought to you by the max FM digital network. Now, here's your host, Rauel LaBreche.
Rauel LaBreche 0:26
Welcome to another edition of frame of reference. And if you listened last week, which I hope you did, because if you didn't, you need to go back and listen to last week. But I started a conversation with Todd Walker, who is the Executive Director of the sock pray Healthcare Foundation. And I get the advantage of starting this week's episode by knowing that's actually the name of the foundation and not guessing from old knowledge about what that what it was called now, but the sock berry Healthcare Foundation is particularly involved in raising money, which foundations that's kind of at the core of raising money to help improve the quality of health here in the sock per area. And some of that was we even talked about, like some of the machines that you've been able to help purchase to help keep people safe and healthy. But thank you, Todd, for being here.
Todd Wuerger 1:15
Thank you very much. No, you're welcome. And thank you for allowing me to be your guest.
Rauel LaBreche 1:19
Well, it's always a pleasure to talk with somebody I haven't talked with before, you know, and in the health care area, in particular, I've talked with Dr. McAuliffe a number of times. And it's interesting, see, we're talking about how, you know, you trust physicians to kind of be aware of things and really be, you know, have a foundation for the things that they're recommending specifically for medicine. But when I talked with Dr. McAuliffe about his favorite reading his favorite book that he liked to read, he said, You know, I really have to say it's probably the New England Medical Journal, I thought to myself, My Lord, I never ever would imagine that someone would say I love reading the New York, New England Medical Journal. But you know, that just made me really appreciate the that he wants to spend his free time reading that tells speaks volumes to me about the quality of his medical care, right?
Todd Wuerger 2:11
Well, and I'll just say that I've had an opportunity to sit down with Dr. McAuliffe on a couple of occasions. He's, he's done some gifts to the foundation, and one that was recent, a couple months ago, came to my office and his checkbook, and he was writing a check. And, you know, I just really appreciate Dr. McCall. 40 stands for some of his principles in life. And he's, this is such a great guy, he, you know, he's, I won't say how old he is. But he has no intentions of slowing down. Let's put it that way. Even though he's somebody that probably could have could have retired,
Rauel LaBreche 2:52
I joke with him. He's 424 years old. And he thanked me for that.
Todd Wuerger 2:57
He's great. You talk you talk about somebody that's, that's passionate about what he does. I mean, and, you know, don't we all kind of want that to some degree to have that thing that gets you up in the morning that you love to do, you know, you're making a difference in people's lives. And in his case, as a as a physician, and in the population that he works with not just primary care. But, you know, with some of the difficult and challenging patients he works with, he does it was such a, an appropriate reports about non judgmental, just trying to, to understand why this patient is, you know, encountering the problems they are and just, it's just a great way to be a, you know, a healer, which is really at the end of the day what he is. And so I really appreciate what Dr. McAuliffe is as a human being.
Rauel LaBreche 3:48
So, you know, I'll use Dr. McAuliffe as an example in my mind, at least, for what that's worth, as an exemplary leader, a leader in healthcare and what that looks like. And, you know, he is in many ways the old fashioned country doctor, you know, who is exactly the kind of doctor that most people want, because you can trust him. He's really thinking about your you personally, what's best for you personally, he's compassionate about things. You're not just another number, or an appointment. You are, you know, a person that he has gotten to know that you know, the beauties of being in a smaller area where that can still happen. So using that as an example, do you see examples to of people that you've worked with? And maybe not necessarily right now, I would hope at least not now but people that you've worked with that you watch as a leader and think, no, I don't think I do that that way. Or I You mentioned one of the people that you worked with, you could tell pretty early on that you guys were not going to get along. I forget your words that you use, but it sounded pretty much like yeah, this is not the kind of person I can handle as a boss. Right? What does that look like when you see it? And how do you evaluate that? Well,
Todd Wuerger 5:05
so I think the older, the older I get, the more I come to appreciate people, people that I work for that place a high value on work life balance. You know, we can work and work and work, we can work all day. And does that make us any more successful or? I'm not convinced it is, I think it's really important that you, you separate yourself from the workplace, no matter how much you love your job, and I really, truly enjoy my job. And I could do my job many more hours than I do it. But it's really important that you, you you take the time to be away, to rejuvenate to be with family. And I would just say that I tend to be drawn to leaders who are very family oriented, that plays a high emphasis on on being present with your families. I don't want to wake up some day, and and regret that I didn't spend more time with my kids I have I have a young family I got started late. You know, my oldest is nine, I have a seven year old and a six year old and they are the joy of my life. I can't wait to get home. So I do have to pry myself away from the office at times and realize that I have a family that's waiting for me and my kids are depending on me, and they want to share about their, their successes and their challenges. And it's important as a as a parent that you be part of that. And so I guess back to the leadership question the the people that I've worked for that, that put that kind of an emphasis where there is a you know, tide, you just got to shut it down, you got to go home and just be with your family. I really respect that kind of leadership. And I just that's the kind of leader I want to be as well.
Rauel LaBreche 6:53
And it's really hard, isn't it to get people that don't see it that way? To understand how important that is? It's like no, you know, there are some bosses I've had that. You know, it's it's not how many hours you've worked. It's how many hours have you worked for me today? You know, so, and that becomes really difficult, especially when you see their families turn out as dysfunctional as they do to say, Well, dude, this is why, you know, you're, you're having all this other stress. And it's because you're not spending the time there. So I feel sometimes like we're talking a different language or like we're on different planets. And the people that you're talking to right now that are resonating with it are going yeah, man, I need to do that I need to find a job like that a boss like that. And yet there's another whole spectrum I think or like I he's fully they didn't know what the heck, he's talking about money, money, money, you got to succeed, you got to be whatever. I don't know how to bridge that gap. Do you
Todd Wuerger 7:50
know and I, you know, I was in my previous role before I came to the hospital, I'm the person I was reporting to, they've measured your success based on your office time. And and the person that I report to prior look more at what what are you doing when you're here, like how productive and efficient Are you and if you're getting your work done, at the end of the day, if you're getting your job done, and you want to go and you want to coach that high school swim team, because that's meaningful to you. And that brings you the bounce in life that you need, that you're going to come back the next day and be even more successful. Because you have that outlet, you have that side passion you're pursuing, well, then you should be doing that. And but but that wasn't the philosophy of this leader that I was reporting to. And in the end of the day, we disagreed that this wasn't a good fit anymore. But I'm so thankful that I was able to leave separate myself from that situation and come to the hospital where that is something that's that's that's important that that's nurtured is that you find that right balance and, and and it's all about productivity of what you're getting done doesn't matter if it takes you 15 hours to accomplish or if you do it in seven, you get your job done, and you're moving the needle forward and you know, then you can pursue those other things. And
Rauel LaBreche 9:15
it's so important that isn't it, you have to be in a healthy place. Which brings me to one of the reasons that we started this conversation and initiated doing a podcast together was in relation to a mental health first aid. Class, I got a workshop that is being offered through the foundation. And that was actually part of a grant too, wasn't it? So it's part of the the mission of the the foundation is to offer these kinds of things to keep people healthy. We've been talking about that over and over again, right. We want to keep people healthy and mental health during this pandemic has been particularly difficult. I mean, they're, you know, people that talk about things that have helped them are folks that are out you know, they're walking We're off and they got a dog and all that mean, things that I can really personally identify with. But then there's another whole spectrum of people that just have not been able to find that release or that that health, healthy thing, or healthy people or healthy activity, whatever it is, and it's taking a big toll. A lot of us. Tell me more about the Mental Health First Aid, how does that play into all that?
Todd Wuerger 10:28
No, thanks for all. So I started with the foundation in 2018. And prior to my arrival, the foundation had been sponsoring a course called Mental Health First Aid training. And they were partnering with an organization out of Madison called Journey mental health. And they put on these courses, they were kind of targeted a little bit towards the schools. But we had a lot of teachers that were taking these courses, other community members, and they wanted to see these continues. So I came in, and we continue to put on these courses. And because our service area is connected with the primary care clinics, we were rotating where these courses were being offered. So whether it was one in black earth, or one in Lodi or spring green or, or plane and very well attended courses, people came and took them in fact, I have a story to share about a woman who took a course took this course, in black earth, she was amazing, any resident, and after the Course was over, she she was she was basically in a cab riding to a destination. And she noticed that the cab driver was seem to be under distress. And so she she had just learned some tools and some questions to ask that came from the course. And, and so one of the key questions and she just was very upfront with the cab driver. She said, you know, Are you Are you feeling okay? Are you You seem distressed and she knew this cab driver from other rides. And he said, You know, I'm not not doing so hard. And she just said, Well, are you are you having suicidal thoughts. And he admitted that he was. And she said, You know, I just came from a mental health first aid course. I'm not getting out of this cab until you place a call. And she she had the number she encouraged him to call the crisis line, he agreed to do so. She got out of the cab, the next following weeks, which should have been him driving a cab he wasn't there. So she really didn't know what had happened. But many weeks went by and lo and behold, one day she got in the cab and he was driving. And she said, You know, it's so good to see you. What what happened. And he said, Well, as a result of that call that you encouraged me to make. I saw a therapist, I was admitted, I got the help I needed. And I'm just so thankful that you You encouraged me to do so because otherwise I wouldn't be here right now. And it's just um, you know, an amazing story about somebody who took this course that was funded by the Foundation, she never knew that she would be put in that situation, I think a lot of people take come and take the course and don't know if they're ever going to put these skills to use. And sure enough, she did. And very, very thankful that she she took took the course and was able to help in a time of need. So these are just things that I took the course back in April, it was a virtual course at the time. And I can say I'm glad I took it. It was a good use of my time. And you just never know at any point in the future when you may encounter a situation where somebody might need be help. And you're in a position where you can do that. So this course that you're asking about. There has been some requests over the last couple years that we design one for the a community and we we approached the instructor that put on the course originally, and just asked if there was a possibility of designing something. And so he met with somebody who had gone through the course that has very, very strong connections and affiliations with the community. And between the two of them. The other one became mental health certified as an instructor, and so they're going to be co teaching this class. And we're just really proud to be able to offer this course at Macfarlanes. And it's going to be on December 10 coming up here in a few short weeks.
Rauel LaBreche 14:28
Okay, so hopefully this podcast will outlive that date and maybe get some people to find out more. Are there specific agencies that you would recommend people contact if they're interested in a course or at least some of the toolkit things that are
Todd Wuerger 14:44
offered? Yeah, they can contact us at the foundation and we you know, if we need to get information from the instructor prior to the course, or for future courses, we're happy to do so. But we're the ones that are handling the registration for the course. itself,
Rauel LaBreche 15:00
do you? It strikes me that nowadays too, there is such a prevalence of mental issues, mental health issues that people are dealing with. And I still feel like there's a degree of stigmatization that to admit that you are struggling with things is one of the greatest obstacles that we face in trying to get healthy. It's just, you know, and I look at things like that, what's going on today? And I think, you know, you have to almost be crazy to not be crazy today. You know that in a it sounds goofy to say that. But it, it strikes me that if you can admit how crazy these times are making us and how much stress and just disorder is in our thoughts, because of all the things going on? That should be a sign that your mental health is not? Or could be right. Do you? Do you have like, Are there litmus tests? Or are there things that anyone listening to this right now could be just aware of, in their own thinking, or aware of the thinking of people that they're close to that would help to kind of, maybe want to think a little more
Todd Wuerger 16:16
about that? Well, yeah, so I one, one thing that I learned is, after I came to the foundation, and I became more aware of this course, and, and then I learned that one out of every five people suffers from a mental health disorder, and I was not aware of what a huge statistic that is, that basically means within your own family, there is somebody that is, is, is not well,
Rauel LaBreche 16:43
natural 20 people in your family, that's four of them.
Todd Wuerger 16:45
Yep, you do that, do the math on that. And I can just say that it within my extended family, other there's people that have needed to seek, you know, professional services and in there is no take no shame in that, you know, physical and mental health are very much connected. And, you know, you also need to equally take your, as much as your physical health, your mental health as well. And, and I not the that the course teaches us because this is, again, is trying to identify signals and signs that perhaps you there, you know, you you might need some some assistance or some help. But I think what's important is that people find outlets that they can hopefully, you know, have some some physical activity within their days so that, you know, you can keep your keep your, your wellness, both your physical and your mental wellness, in check. And so I just, I'm a firm believer that as much as it's difficult to carve out some time every day to go out and have some sort of a physical activity. It could just be as simple as a brief walk, but it's really, really important to keep your, your your mental health in check as well.
Rauel LaBreche 17:56
Sure, folks, my guest today is Todd Walker, the executive director of the Sauk Prairie Health Care Foundation. We're gonna take a brief break to hear a word from our sponsors. We'll be right back to talk about something I know he's passionate about. And it has to do with water. So if you want to find out more, stay with us. We'll be right back here on 99 Seven Max FM digital network. Looking for pet supplies Macfarlanes and sock city hasm. Have a hungry dog cat rabbit horse sheep chicken Macfarlanes has feed nutritional supplements for all your furry and feathered friends, animal care products like fly sprays, and flea and tick treatments, food and water bowls leeches fencing hall here under one big 200,000 square foot roof at Macfarlanes. And socks at your complete pet supply home one block south of highway 12 At seven at Carolina street Macfarlanes where service is a family tradition. We're back here on frame of reference on 99 Seven Max FM's digital network. My guest today is Todd worker who's the executive director of suck pray Healthcare Foundation. Todd, we've been talking a lot about health care, staying healthy, being healthy, having projects and funding for initiatives that do just that hopefully, like the mental health first aid offered.
Unknown Speaker 19:21
Hopefully again and again. But turning it back to I know in our talks that part of what keeps you healthy is your involvement in swimming and
Rauel LaBreche 19:35
talk about that a little bit because I think there are a lot of people out there that are struggling to find something some activity that will help them become healthier. What is that that do for you? How did you know this isn't my thing? You'd bet a swimmer right came into coaching swimming as a swimmer. That's kind of nice to have these other you already have
Unknown Speaker 19:58
a chance to drive you and a lot of ways
Todd Wuerger 19:59
to Well, I mean, if I were to go way back to the beginning, which I'll try to keep it keep it short but so I parents for for, I think at least two three years after they finished their school yet and they got the Air Force and each location they went to South Carolina Texas Southern states you always knew by the water
so one of the most you mentioned my parents grew up on farms. They were not swimmers. In fact, my dad would tell the story that when he came to the UW, it was actually a requirement that you had to learn how to swim. And he admitted that treading water for him, was like one of the more hardest things he ever did he, he would just sink like a rock. But somehow he managed to pass the course and I still
Rauel LaBreche 21:10
can't tread water. Just I get so tense when I'm in the deep water right right to the bottom so I can feel his pain.
Todd Wuerger 21:21
So really, they just expose us to water because they just wanted us to know how to, you know, to, to survive if we ever fall in. So I, you know, so my parents were not competitive swimmers. But we did find ourselves swimming competitively. At a very young age, I think I joined the swim team when I was six. And it was on a club team in the west side of Madison. That's where I grew up. And so at some point, I can't say for certain probably around the age of eight or nine, I did more than just the summer season I swam during the winter as well. And then once he hit high school, then I knew at that point I wanted to swim in college, right. And so not only that, but I was hoping that maybe I would be good enough that I could earn a scholarship. So i i I realized my goal, I ended up swimming, going to school and swimming at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. I was on a swimming scholarship, I swam for years. I needed one more year to complete my Bachelor's degree. And there was a brand new coach that that came in. And because I had the connection to the team, he asked me to stay on as a graduate assistant. So I agreed I stayed on. And I completed my degree. And then I moved back to Madison, where I was from and coach one more summer I had coach six summers back in the late 80s, early 90s. And then at that point, I pursued my professional career and kind of distanced myself from the sport. And when I was working at Unity, many years later, somebody in the IT department came to my cube and said, You know, I hear that you used to be a competitive swimmer and used to do some coaching. We desperately need an 800 coach at our at our local community team, which is part of the Tri County league. And I thought what in the heck would I want to do that for you know, I, I work, you know, from early in the morning till evening, I go home, I get up the next day, and I do it all over again. When can I possibly fit this in? And I think I said no, at least six times. And then she eventually wore me down and she you know, shamed me into it. So I said just to get off my back like I did with my wife. I said outside the judges window. Yeah, that's fine. I'll do it for a summer. Well, a little bit. I know that that summer, I would be coaching with somebody who needed some help coaching the high school swim team here in Sauk Prairie, and they had just started a co op between Sauk Prairie Wisconsin heights, SOX numbers were declining to the point where they were just going to shut down the program and get rid of it. Heights. Meanwhile, Wisconsin heights didn't have a pool, but yet they had five or five guys that wanted to swim. So they said, well, let's just keep this program going for one more year, we'll start up a co op, if it fails, we'll get rid of it. If it succeeds, we might consider keeping it going. So I said fine. I'll do it for a year. And anyway, three years later, the head coach left to take a job for an organization that did not support doing something outside your your career. So he had to resign. They posted a job for the head coaching position, nobody applied for it. The athletic director came to me about a month before the season started and said, you know, Todd, I need you to step up and do this. I know you're the Assistant Coach, I know you have a full time career, we'll make this work. What do we need to do? And I said, Well, I don't know how I can do this. But the only way I can possibly see it working is if you move the practices to the evening so I could still do my job. Fine, done what else you need. And I should have come prepared with three or four other negotiable items. But again, I didn't make that quick. So here I found myself, coaching being the head coach of the team and I figured I'll just do this for one year and be done with that. Well, 20 years later, I'm still doing it but i i will do To say that I'm sure I could have gotten out of it many years if I really wanted to. But there's something about coaching high school students that, let's face it, they're at a really pivotal time in their lives, where they're discovering things about themselves. They're trying to gain confidence, build their self esteem, equip themselves with the tools that they need to move on to the next stage in life. I know a very small fraction of these kids will pursue swimming after high school, but what you're really doing is you're working with them so that hopefully someday they will pursue something and do it with dedication and commitment, learn values about working together with a team, the story I share is how, you know, if it weren't for my background, and growing up in a variety of different activities, primarily being sports, you may get plunked into an office environment and be in a department where you don't know any of these people, but you have to learn to work together and work together as a team to get a goal accomplished. And I think that's so much of what any activity, whether it be sports or any organized activity you get involved with. And so I think the the opportunity to work with youth and to coach and to teach them these values, you're hopefully setting themselves up for success, where they now feel equipped that they can be good students, if they pursue a college degree. And then beyond that. So I feel very fortunate, I guess, to be part of their, their life journey that way.
Rauel LaBreche 26:27
So a lot of that is working with students at that level, I think is very much like being on the cutting edge of the future. You know, because you do have that that sense of this is going to go on way beyond me. And hopefully, you know, those experiences like is that get passed down? So leads me Canada. My final, my closing thing I'd love to do with the show is to you know, if you think ahead 20 3040 years, whatever that might be, and you're approaching the end of your life, or though you know, nowadays, who knows when that is right. But is there a thing that you are a quality an activity, you know, a character trait that you would like people to think of when they think of that thing that they think of you that you know, what what's, you know, we tend to think of it what is the legacy that you'd like to leave behind both personally, professionally, spiritually. I mean, I think there's too often I remember my dad years ago, saying he, he had a set of beliefs that he had. And he said, I suppose at the end of my life, people may think that I was a fool for believing some of the things I believe, but hopefully, the worst thing we'll be able to say about me is that and the best thing we'll be able to say is he tried to do to leave the world a little better place than it was when he came into it. Right. So where's your legacy? Yeah,
Todd Wuerger 27:54
yeah. Well, so I guess tying your question about what what legacy might I want to live or leave someday to the work that I currently do is, I think one thing that the the work that I do with the foundation, it's taught me as about a sense of community and giving back to the community. And that can come in a variety of different ways, whether it's, whether it's coaching and working with youth, or whether it's raising money and giving it back to the hospital so that they can better the lives of people. But I think there's a, a sense of giving back to the community, however you define that community with, it's within your family, whether it's, you know, in your community community, I would like to just someday be able to continue to give back, I guess, whether that's a talent that you've acquired along the way, some knowledge, some expertise, whether it's personal financing, because you've, you've been able to fortunately, save and then you want to give those resources back in some form of gift that you think will better that community and just better lives in general, I would like to be able to say that I could do that someday. And I really appreciate the work of the Foundation and just learning about how foundations operate, how they're governed. There's a strong emphasis, you know, just on policies and procedures and all that. I think it'd be so cool someday, whether this really happens or not. But I'd love to just start up a family foundation. If I someday retire from this role, which I know eventually, uh, well, and I'm in a position where, you know, you could set up a family foundation and be able to give to people in organizations that are in need of resources to be able to improve their situation or improve situations of people that they're working with. I don't know how you could leave the world knowing that you hopefully met it made it a better place in that regard. And I guess That's the way I would like to go out. I don't want to retire and have nothing to do or, you know, I know people retire and they they pursue hobbies and things that maybe they didn't have a chance to do. Because they're just so busy with their professional careers. And I take honor and respect and people that pursue their lives that way, I just like to hopefully be able to just continue, even if it's doing that kind of work as a hobby, I just feel that I would like to be able to give back in that regard.
Rauel LaBreche 30:29
Sure. Which is, it's, it's, I think, sometimes hard to have the energy to do that, you know, because it does take a lot of work. But if you what's the old saying, If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. So I hope that happens. And I would think, though, to that, if you ended up with one of your swim kids somewhere, becomes a Michael Phelps level swimmer, you'd be pretty darn proud of that, too.
Todd Wuerger 30:54
For sure, but what I would say to that, and I've actually said this to my son, who claims that he's going to have some kind of professional athletic career, and what I've challenged him with is I said, I, I'll say his name, Donovan, that's my oldest, I said, Donovan, if you if you make it to that kind of a level someday, and and they're, they're just, you know, they're paying you so well that you have all this extra money. I'm going to be your executive director, I'm going to be your foundation director, we're going to find a way to make use of those resources so that we can give back to the people that have helped you along the way.
Rauel LaBreche 31:28
Yeah, I've often thought it would be so cool to be at like a Bill Gates, or Jeff Bezos level, and that that those guys aren't doing wonderful things do but to be able to look at a newspaper, or have a team of people that are looking at newspapers across the country, or the world for that matter, and are picking out little stories of people that just need someone to come alongside them and say, Hey, this isn't about entitlement. This isn't about we're, we're not going to provide you with this on an ongoing basis. But we want to give you a start, we want to help you get to a point where you know, the old saying you can either give them a fishery can teach them how to fish, but to be an organization that's teaching people how to fish on all kinds of levels, wouldn't that be? I hope your family foundation gets started because I suspect that yours would be one that taught people to fish.
Todd Wuerger 32:17
Yeah, well, you know, can I just touch on one story and this, this, this happened, and it's a long what you just mentioned, so many years ago, there was a couple of teachers at the Lodi school district that they basically had to offer a group of students an opportunity to earn some some credits over the summer. And they knew that they were not the type of learners that would do well in the classroom setting or get get the credit they needed. So they they design a course where they could go out and do some hiking, and learn on the trails and a physical activity that involve physical fitness. So the problem was that they didn't have the funding for it. So they approached the foundation, they submitted an application, they didn't know if it was going to be approved or not. But really what the funding was for I know this sounds kind of, but they basically needed money to pay for the bus to get them to the trail so that they could hike right? And and the foundation looked at that that grant application, they thought, well, at the end of the day, they are going to be learning something and they're getting physical fitness, if we're going to be funding the transportation and get them out there. That's not exactly what this grant was designed for. But let's take a flyer and do this. Well, the point of this story, the reason I'm sharing it is this group, it was basically morphed into the ich trail Alliance, and it's a very, very long trail, if you're not familiar with it, that extends throughout basically the entire state of Wisconsin. But this activity, we just, you know, I give that committee a ton of credit that they thought outside the box. And it was more about, you know, what, at the end of the day, is this funding going to be used for the this, these teachers didn't have the money for the bus, but they just needed a start. And so that's where I someday I hope that we're in a position if we have this family foundation that we can think outside the box and provide other people organizations with the start they need that will hopefully morph into something that's much bigger than what it started out to be
Rauel LaBreche 34:22
one you just don't know, right? You just don't know what that thing will be. I think of like Penny Johnson up at kids ranch and she's come in a number of times come to ask businesses to walk alongside them to fund buses. The cost of renting a buses is significant for an organization like that. So you know, whereas a business can step up and for $150 rent the bus and that means that these kids that couldn't get there because they don't have parents that can drive drop them off. Their parents are working jobs that they just don't have the time nor do they have the fuel. I mean, a lot of times it's just it's that dire. So Providing that bus can be a huge deal, because you never know what those kids are going to get out of being a kids ranch that, you know, might turn some things around. And yeah, don't don't count short, the blessings that a little bit can do, right. So, Todd, I can't thank you enough. I know you need to get out of here because you got a kid that wants to be a world famous hockey player. So, but I can't, I can't thank you enough for coming, sharing your time sharing your testimony, sharing the wealth of experiences you've had, really, really appreciate it.
Todd Wuerger 35:33
Now, the thanks is to you because I am, I just, I feel just thankful that I had a chance to just share a little bit about what we do at the foundation and the lives that we touch and the impacts that we make. And anyway, just with all the listeners out there, just keep pursuing your passions. Because at the end of the day, that's that's what moves the world
Rauel LaBreche 35:56
forward. Indeed. And never underestimate. Forget the person who said this. Cache hate that but never underestimate the power of a small community group of people to change things because so who knows, you might be that group of small group of people that are passionate about something and you end up changing the world in huge ways. So thanks again. Well said, we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back here with closing thoughts on frame of reference, and 99 Seven Max FM's digital network
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Rauel LaBreche 37:07
Health. The state of being free from illness or injury comes from an old English word that meant wholeness being whole sound or well, it also has origins in an Old Norse word that meant holy and sacred care. On the other hand, which is defined as the provision of what is necessary for the health, welfare, maintenance and protection of someone or something has a more interesting origin. In words like cataria, or Sierra, I hope I'm saying that right, which meant to be anxious or solicitous to grieve, feel concern for or interest in. So when our modern vocabulary includes the combination of both words into one concept, the importance of that concept would appear hard to overstate. Think about it for just a minute. We have a huge history of focusing our attention on our individual wholeness, soundness, and wellness with concern and interest to the point of perhaps being a bit anxious about it. Can anyone say hypochondriac? But it makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, how would we survive if we didn't attend to it? And yet, everything that we strive for, and stress over ultimately affects our health. If it's not kept in check, shouldn't our frame of reference incorporate thoughts about one's health? People with long term medical conditions repeatedly say that they didn't really appreciate their health until they lost it? I pray that we don't lose ours in the mayhem of pandemic misinformation. I pray for a sacred soundness and wholeness, to grip our nation so that caring for each other's well being becomes at least as important as individual rights. Stay well.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
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