WBCS~25TH ANNIVERSARY
Philanthropy
Kickstarts A Cure
Total WBCS Research Investment as of December 2000
$275,000 Melodie Wilson 2000 Honorary Chair Nancé Kinney President and Founder John Edbauer and Judy Gehl Showhouse Co-Chairs John Kimpel WBCS Photographer Northwestern Mutual Foundation Showhouse Sponsor GE Medical Systems Showhouse Sponsor Froedtert & Medical College of Wiscsonsin Gala Sponsor
FEBRUARY 2023
EXPERTS SAY PHILANTHROPY KICKSTARTS novel cancer research that leads to cures. Started as the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse in 1998, WBCS, Inc. is marking 25 years as a 501(c)(3) all-volunteer charitable organization with a mission to advance breast cancer and prostate cancer research. To date, WBCS has had a $117.74 million research impact to defeat these common and still deadly diseases. How has this happened? By staying laser-focused on our mission. By partnering with Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center scientists. By engaging generous sponsors, donors, community partners and dedicated volunteers. By collaborating with welcoming homeowners and talented design professionals who’ve transformed each home into a Showhouse. By holding events and bringing awareness that research takes money, and research brings cures. Look at what all of us have accomplished together! In this series of eleven articles, homeowners, designers, leadership volunteers, and others who’ve made significant contributions through WBCS to invest in cures, share their experiences. We begin the series this month by featuring our generous year 2000 Showhouse homeowners, Claudia Gavery and Raymond Gavery, MD (1940-2021).
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IN 1998, CLAUDIA GAVERY opened the front door of her home to find WBCS founder Nancé Kinney and realtor Cecilia Abrams standing there. They wanted to talk about using her Eastside mansion as a WBCS Showhouse. Little did Claudia know this was the beginning of a wonderful relationship with the many designers, committee members, volunteers and others who make up the successful WBCS organization. Claudia, a current WBCS board member and co-chair of the WBCS Design Committee, shared memories when her home was the 2000 Showhouse. She and her husband, Raymond Gavery, MD (1940 – 2021), owned the stunning limestone mansion at 3000 East Newberry Boulevard that became the third Showhouse for a Cure. After speaking with Nancé and Cecilia, Claudia made a decision to volunteer for WBCS to learn more about the organization. Less than a year later, her home became the next Showhouse. Claudia said she experienced many benefits from being involved as a WBCS homeowner,
stating, “One of the best things about offering my home as the Showhouse was meeting so many great people.” Another benefit was working with the designers. Claudia shared, “Everything the designers did was so personalized. They were so kind and they wanted us to appreciate what they were doing in each room.” As an example, Dr. Gavery admired Winston Churchill, so one designer created a Churchill bathroom complete with a vintage typewriter. A beautiful mural of Claudia's beloved Westies was painted inside the iconic British public telephone booth located in the pub. Claudia feels passionately about the WBCS mission. At the time of the 2000 Showhouse, her sister had undergone a double mastectomy and a close cousin had lost her battle to breast cancer. Twenty-three years later, Claudia is still active with WBCS. She is a board member, and has served on many committees including the nominating, gala, design and house committees.
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