The Gabby Krause Foundation is a network of caring people who want to make a difference in the lives of children. Our goal is to hand deliver 1,800 Bags of Fun a year to children whose health and happiness is threatened and/or compromised.
"After 21 years of hospitals, I thought I had it all down pat. We travel from Montana to Denver for care, and it's a major ordeal. I ask myself, "Do we REALLY need this?' when packing. I know we'll probably move ICU rooms twice, and then we'll move again to the cardiac floor. We might even move rooms at the Ronald McDonald House for this or that reason. We try to travel light. I don't want to make the hospital feel like home. It's not home. I want to get what needs to be done done, and then we'll have all the creature comforts waiting at home. My perspective has been changing though. My daughter had a cardiac arrest a couple months back. Although she's had 5 separate cardiac ICU admissions over the years (along with time in NICUs and PICUs), I'm finally seeing that fun shouldn't wait until we get home. We only have this moment guaranteed. Honestly, I plan to never leave home for a hospital stay without a "Bag of Fun" again. It's such a reminder to stop and make your own joy wherever you are. Hospital stays can be more than conquering a list of goals for discharge. They can be moments of connectedness and even fun. I guess even old moms can learn new tricks! Thank you." |
"Grace was really excited to get her bag. It was so BIG and so much more than we had ever imagined. Every item she was thrilled to receive and that blanket is the SOFTEST blanket on the planet. She honestly LOVED everything you chose for her. I think it helped lift her spirits. This type of cancer really is challenging and she's had a rough go with chemo. It is like you knew her personally and knew all her favorite hobbies and crafts. Thank you so much! "
“All forms of play help reduce anxiety. It makes the child feel they are in a much more normal environment. To the parents, it really matters that we are seeing their child as a child and not just a part of the disease or nasty chemotherapy.” - Dr. Nick Foreman, MD Seebaum/Tschetter Chair of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (Dr. Foreman has been involved with Bags of Fun since its inception in 2004.)
Our mission is to deliver a Bag of Fun to every child fighting a critical, long-term and life-threatening condition.
What began as a mother’s wish to offer a playful respite for her daughter fighting brain cancer has now become a movement to reclaim the innocence and playfulness of childhood for those that are threatened by the realities of their medical conditions. Bags of Fun are an essential tool that brings the power of play into the hospitals. For the child it brings instant excitement and a distraction from their pain, illness and anxiety. For parents, it is gratitude at a time when being thankful and hopeful is not often possible. Since inception of the program in 2004, Bags of Fun has fulfilled every request from the participating hospitals. It is our annual goal to be able to fund 100% of the requests and to not have to deny any requests.
Bags of Fun is independent of the hospitals and each Bag of Fun is funded by the Gabby Krause Foundation. Our organization is distinctive in that it focuses on unique play as a means of recovery for kids in the fight of their lives. This is a theme that we truly work and live by. All of our events focus on play…play for the family, play for kids that aren’t able to play, play for the adults. Through Gabby’s legacy of playing through her fight, we have created a program that every donor can connect to and at the same time, we connect to every donor. As Plato taught us, “You learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”
Organization name
Bags of Fun/The Gabby Krause Foundation
other names
Bags of Fun
2005
Tax id (EIN)
47-0946567
Category
Youth Development, Human Services, Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines, Mental Health & Crisis Intervention
Organization Size
Large Organization
Address
7200 S. Alton Way, A180CO, US