Events
There’s a lot happening as a result of Baptist Foundation. Stay up to date on all of our activities and the latest news about Baptist Foundation. For a list of upcoming events, click here.
Baptist Foundation News
2023 Cardiac Classic
Baptist Memorial Health Care Foundation hosted the 2023 Cardiac Classic Golf Tournament in October, at Spring Creek Ranch in Collierville, Tennessee. The well-attended event included 218 golfers on 57 teams competing while raising an impressive $166,550 for the Baptist Heart Institute. These funds will help the Heart Institute provide life-saving equipment, technology upgrades and enhanced staff expertise to deliver high-quality health care to those with the greatest need, including heart patients who lack the resources to cover expenses like transportation, lodging and take-home medications and supplies. Title sponsor Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee and 43 other generous sponsors for the 2023 tournament, made the event possible.
Miles 4 Milla
A 40-Mile Bike ride to raise funds and awareness for Baptist Centers for Good Grief, Milla’s House. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the work being done at Milla’s House that much more important, as thousands in our community try to cope with loss of a loved one and the increase in traumatic losses due to murder and suicide. The need is great, the waiting lists are long, and with additional funds, the services will continue to be provided to our community and move us towards healing.
The 7th annual Miles 4 Milla event, the signature bike ride benefiting Milla’s House, took place on May 20, 2023. With the dedicated efforts of Frazer and Dana Gieselmann, this event raised over $177,000 for Milla's House, providing vital support to grieving families. The generous contributions received will enable Milla's House to continue providing essential counseling services and care to those navigating the difficult journey of grief. We express our heartfelt gratitude to all the individuals and organizations who donated their time, resources, and enthusiasm to support this worthy cause.
Click here to learn more about the Gieselmann family and the grief center named in Milla’s memory.
Art of Caring
The annual Baptist Art of Caring auction benefits Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief, supporting free grief services for Mid-South children, teens and adults. The 2023 event raised more than $204,000 in cash and in-kind gifts. Several local businesses donated items for the silent auction, with 52 artists represented. Thank you to all who attended and made bids on auction items, in-person and online.
So many have lost loved ones and are in need of grief services, making the Art of Caring auction benefitting the Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief that much more vital to our mission. Instead of one day, the 2021 event took place over several days as participants viewed, bid on and won amazing art and collectibles online. Every year, all proceeds from the Art of Caring auction go to provide free grief services for Mid-South children and adults.
"Say Hello to Buddy"
Buddy is the new therapy dog at Baptist Centers for Good Grief. He’s a Bernedoodle, a cross between a Bernese mountain dog and a poodle, and a very good boy. Buddy graduated from therapy training in March 2023, and loves to provide additional support to children, teens and adults through their grief journeys.
P.D. Parrot’s Playroom: Where Children Grow and Learn...and Heal
Children may fear being in a hospital. But a recent new addition to the Spence and Becky Wilson Baptist Children’s Hospital hopes to replace the worry and fear with fun, inspiration, and laughter. In April, the hospital dedicated a new playroom in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit. Named for Baptist’s pediatric services mascot, P.D. Parrot’s Playroom features a BEAM interactive projector game system, interactive manipulatives on the wall for all ages, arts and crafts, and other toys and games. The new playroom was made possible through the generosity of Memphis philanthropists Spence and Becky Wilson as well as through a grant from the Toy Foundation, a children’s charity whose mission is to provide the vital commodity of play to children and families under stress.
Upcoming Events
Art of Caring 2024
The Art of Caring is a cherished annual tradition that combines art, compassion, and community support. This year’s event, scheduled for April 25, 2024, promises an unforgettable evening at the stunning FedEx Event Center overlooking picturesque Hyde Lake in Shelby Farms Park. Every year, Art of Caring features the work of some of the Mid-South’s most talented and respected artists and craftspeople, a silent auction, delicious cuisine, refreshing drinks and festive live music. Check back here often for more information and to find out when tickets will be available.
Prior Events
Get Going for Grief 2024
The second Get Going for Grief was held on January 6, 2024, at the CycleBar location in Germantown. Many participants got together to sweat it out on a 30-minute ride to raise awareness and make grief counseling available to children and families at no cost to them. This year enough funds were raised to provide one month of teen grief group counseling to Mid-South families. Plans for another Get Going for Grief cycle ride for this summer are underway. Stay tuned!
Inaugural Share the Love 5k Raises Funds for Camp Good Grief
In October, the inaugural Share the Love 5k and Alston Construction Family Run and Festival in memory of Collins Leach, who lost her life at age 5 after a tragic car accident. The event raised more than $51,000 to support Camp Good Grief. More than 200 participants registered for the event, which took place on a course that wound around the Kemmons Wilson Family Center for Good Grief and Dorothy’s Cottage in Collierville, Tennessee. The event also included food trucks, games, a bounce house, face painting and the 901 Goats.
A look back at 2022
Baptist Centers for Good Grief
- 32 children and teens were able to attend Camp Good Grief
- 8,500 free grief sessions were provided at sites in Collierville and Memphis
Employee Emergency Assistance
165 employees were assisted, totaling $78,189.62.
Metro Patient Assistance
212 patients received financial assistance in the Memphis-Metro area
Baptist Reynolds Hospice House
1,143 lodging nights were provided to hospice patients/family who could not afford it.
Baptist Cancer Center
Over 1,500 rides were provided for patients to attend treatment and appointments
Over 1,500 mammograms were provided by the Mobile Mammography Van
Baptist Health Sciences University
226 scholarships were awarded for the 2022 academic year
Baptist Operation Outreach
295 individuals with no permanent housing provided backpacks with items the homeless populations needs most during the winter months
Baptist Heart Institute
95 hotel stays provided for out-of-town heart transplant and mechanical pump recipients to bridge the gap from hospital to home
25 patients provided with assistance with transportation expenses