Athletes with a heart making a difference for patients and families at Saint Clare's Hospital

Throughout the school year, athletes from DC Everest High School give their heart and soul for their school, teammates and community.

This past school year, a group of students took that passion a step further to benefit patients and families at Saint Clare’s Hospital in Weston by forming "Athletes with Heart."

“We have always been proud of our school and our athletes, but we thought this was something we could take a step further and make a difference in our community,” said Ingrid Zagzebski of Weston, a junior to be at DC Everest High School.

The idea came to Zagzebski when her brother Konrad who plays for the Evergreen football team spent some time in the hospital battling a virus and she was a frequent visitor to Saint Clare’s. It was her hope that she could set the wheels in motion for a support program that could provide items to the hospital for patients and family members.

The Zagzebski’s enthusiasm turned into an organization of more than 50 students and 20 area businesses that pledged donations on a one time basis or a monetary amount for each point scored by the Everest Football team last season.

These efforts resulted in the collection of more than $3,000 and the launch of the DC Everest Athletes with a Heart restricted fund within the Foundation of Saint Clare’s Hospital. The fund will be administered by the Foundation’s board of directors at the direction of the students and businesses that support the program.

Saint Clare’s officials recently announced the first purchase from the Athletes with a Heart Fund, a TV/DVD combination unit that is located on the hospitals intensive care unit and is used for a variety of education purposes with patients and their families.

‘We are extremely proud of these fine students and the support they have generated from our community,” said Saint Clare’s Foundation Board Chairman Hooshang Zeyghami. “One of the first uses for the equipment has really helped nursing staff with their comprehensive education program for heart surgery patients and their families.”

Zagzebski adds that she is looking forward to a new school year and the continuation of the Everest Athletes with a Heart program

For more information on the Foundation of Saint Clare’s Hospital, contact Matt Ruppert at 715.393.2604.

The newest member of the Ministry Health Care system sponsored by the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, Saint Clare’s Hospital is a 110-bed all-digital provider of quality, compassionate care in central Wisconsin offering a wide range of primary and specialty care.