Welcome, everybody, to Midday Magazine for this May 4th, 2024.
Have your host, James J. Mailoff here.
In part two today, we're going to speak with Anna Mitchell, UW-Madison Extension Wood
County's Regional Natural Resource Educator.
Right now we have with us in studio, our friend, Danita Carlson, director of Operations
with the Doves Nest, the Alexey Dove Foundation, I should say.
We're going to talk about Doves Nest and this great event that they have coming up.
Danita, thank you so much for joining us.
Thanks for having me.
These nice to talk with you, always nice to talk about the Alexey Dove Foundation.
We take a little, this is, we love all of our nonprofits and all the organizations out
here, we have time for on our radio station.
This one is a little close to our hearts as we got to work with everybody early in the
early stages of this.
And to see where we are now, it's just so beautiful.
It's just such a wonderful and impactful thing.
And for those that may not know out there, can we let them know what the Alexey Dove Foundation
is?
Sure, sure.
Just going back a little bit, what Alex's story is is in 2016 at the age of 21, Alex
was diagnosed with grade four, glioblastoma brain cancer.
And while he was going through surgery and endless chemotherapy and radiation treatments,
he really just always stayed positive.
And even with those challenges, he was able to graduate from UW-Whitewater.
And also, he would go up to his grandparents cottage during that time.
And it was just a place for the whole family to rest and relax and have fun together.
And at one point, Alex had said, it would be so nice for people who are like me going
through treatments to have a free, placed rest and relax like I have.
And from that conversation, Alex and his dad had talked about starting the foundation.
And then the family all got together.
And while Alex was still living, the foundation was actually started.
And so if I'm not mistaken in 2019, Alex passed away, I believe it was in March.
And then in August of 2019, Doves Nest was purchased.
And they are located, the cabinet itself is located on Lake Camelot in the town of
Rome.
And it is beautiful.
It's, it's a, thank you to you for that, appreciate the synopsis there with, with this organization.
We are very fortunate, especially here in the state of Wisconsin, we got a lot of great
people.
We have a lot of good nonprofits covering a lot of bases.
But as Alex knew, there are some gray areas.
There are some things to slip through the cracks.
And being able to give individuals that are dealing with this and families that are
dealing with situations like this, some peace of mind, something to look forward to, a place
to go, something like that is not something that, to be honest, I think a lot of us would
have thought of.
It takes somebody in those shoes to be able to think of that.
I can't think of many better tributes to his legacy and to his family than not only promoting
this event, but making sure that this event sticks around for many, many, many, many years
to come.
It's such a beautiful thing to be a part, I mean, we're not really necessarily a part
of it, but just even getting to talk about it and the chance to have you guys on the radio,
we feel special just touching on this.
I can't imagine for you, the team, all the work that you guys put into this, the amount,
the feelings that you get from something like this, it's got to be a beautiful experience.
It is.
I truly feel blessed to be a part of the organization and I am the one who has contact with all
of the families and it's multiple contacts with the families.
It's not just one setting up their date.
It's the back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and it's always, I always
get to hear their story and their stories are hard, they're hard to hear a couple of weeks
ago.
I was crying with a woman on the phone because she was telling me about her cancer and
how hard it's been and what a blessing it is now that she gets a week because you can
stay six nights free of charge at Doves Nest and she just can't believe that this was being
offered to families and many of the families that I talk with because of the financial burden
that having cancer or life threatening illness can put on families, many of them tell me,
we would not be able to take a vacation and so here we are offering Doves Nest free
of charge again for up to six nights, they're able to come to the beautiful room area and
be in a cabin, look out the windows onto Lake Camelot, we've got a pontoon boat, we've
got kayaks, we've got paddle boards, we've got a paddle boat and everything right on sight
for them.
So they can come to the cabin, leave their worries behind and just rest and relax and connect
with family and many of the families have told me it was a time where they weren't poked
and prodded and receiving treatment and they could actually maybe forget that they had
the life threatening illness.
The vast majority of the families have cancer but we have had other life threatening illnesses
like Parkinson's, ALS, we had a little girl who had a rare disease and so really we're
serving many people with who have life threatening illnesses beyond cancer also and so it's
been really again a blessing, I do have a couple quotes from families that I brought
along and one of them is there are no words to express our gratitude for this wonderful
gift you have provided us.
Another is the amazing gift of time together as a family with no stress or worries just
time.
Watching the kids just get back to kids being kids for an entire week was priceless and
another one, no words can describe our gratitude.
It's been one of the most relaxing stress free, restful four days since cancer turned
our lives upside down almost two years ago.
I know, I know and we have a journal that the families are able to write in and I don't
think that we've had one family who hasn't written in that.
So we get to read their stories and just it's a wonderful organization it truly is and
I didn't mention the age, a lot of people will ask, some people have thought it's just
for children but it's not, it is anyone from zero to a hundred I guess and we've had
all ages.
I think the youngest we had was a two year old who had the rare breed disease and then
gosh I don't know who our oldest one was probably in their 80s and so we do serve a wide range
of ages and so it's not just for children, it's not just for adults.
It's a good note to mention Danita and just a couple of quick notes I want to get out
there real quick.
For one, I just love like Camelot, you describe in the view and the fact of where this is
taking place and everything just is always never lost on me.
I love that the area also gets a little bit of attention from something like this.
I think it deserves it.
I love the Rome area, I love that particular spot of the area and that's always cool.
I don't think, I know that I have because I mean for one I'm an empath but also we've
talked a number of times to need and I'm fortunate to have you in studio so I see the passion
and I see how much you care about not just this but in the previous organizations where
you work and you put your heart into your job.
Thank you so much for letting us behind the curtain a little bit of how these, the kind
of logistics of this and sharing that with us in the work that you do.
There's a lot of people out there that we shout out and we appreciate the work that
they do kind of, that we don't get a chance to highlight very often.
Those conversations you're having, I don't think a lot of us can relate to.
I don't think a lot of us can know what that's like to be on the other end of that phone
and the joy and the hurt of both of that, the up and down of that conversation all that
thank you.
Thank you for that work, thank you to your team over there, everybody at the Dove Foundation
for the doing the work that they do.
I'll probably ramble about this a couple of times but man I appreciate that, thank you
so much.
It is hard sometimes to think of the right words to say and a lot of times I just say a
prayer and say just, God just give me the right words to say to this mom, to this, to
this dad or whoever I'm talking to, especially when it's children, those are very hard conversations
to have.
We're fortunate that you're doing that work and that we're able to do an event that
is coming up and not just that, the fifth annual one, I know I said this last year I feel
like too but I'm still a little surprised, it's surprising and such a great feeling,
like fifth annual, that's awesome, we have the fifth annual Dove's Nest fundraiser coming
up, Saturday May 18th.
Let's dive into the event, let's tell everybody what they have to look forward to at this
great event.
Yeah, yeah, five years, I think of that and think how sad, I mean Alex has been gone
five years and that's hard but what his, what he has left behind, his legacy is so beautiful
and it is a five year celebration really of Dove's Nest and the families that are able
to come and enjoy the cabin and time there and from year after year after year we've had
amazing sponsors, we've had people that have come together to make the celebration a success.
And this year we've, I would just like to shout out to our sponsors, we've got our, what
we call, Dove's Nest sponsors, which are a thousand dollars or more, Ken and Ruth Dove,
our sponsors Aaron Whipper Firth, visit Rome has been an amazing support for the Dove
Foundation, Rome Realty also, mobile veterinary practice and Kusaport Edward State Bank.
And we have a full list of all of our sponsors on our website and you can find our website
at www.AlexCDoveFondation.org and don't forget that C because I've done that before, yeah,
for a beautiful website too, everything that you could ask for is right there for you.
We'll mention that website name again before we wrap up. A great event, a lot of good,
thank you for mentioning the sponsors that are a part of this. Also a lot of other great things
coming together for this one, you're going to have some great entertainment for this event.
I mean great entertainment, like a list entertainment, this is pretty nice, you got some good
gets here. It kicks off, I see with DJ Fish from 10 to 4. Is that it? And then if we're still reckless
from 430 to 730, all great acts, but a local favorite around here and somebody that we've had in
the air with us has joined us, talked to a number of times. Chris Cruz, are you going to become into
town? Yes, we are super excited about Chris coming to town and he's been promoting it on Facebook
that he's coming and we've been promoting it and we're so we're really hoping that we get a record
crowd this year. And all of the funds that are raised for this at this fundraiser are for the
operations of Doves Nest and so if anybody is wondering where does the money go, it's for the
operations just keeping the beautiful cabin in great condition and just really all the operations
all the funds that it takes to have a nonprofit like this, loving on families. And so we're excited
to have him. We're also going to have food drinks and activities if you've ever been to the
the fundraiser before. It's always a great time. We've got a large variety of food vendors. We've
got a Bloody Mary bar and other beverages at noon. We've got the registration for the bean bags
tournament which starts at two and then we've got the major prize package raffles and this year
I want to get back to those prize packages but we've we've got some really nice ones. In years past
we've had the smaller baskets and gosh I think there was hundreds of small baskets. So instead we're
doing larger prizes this year which which is going to be a little bit easier on our end.
We've got Spent the Wheel and Spot Game, Kids Bounce House, Face Painting and Blown
Creations and did we say the date? Oh yeah. Yeah. May 18th. Okay. Okay. We'll keep saying it. We'll
keep saying we'll be promoting it on our morning shows and everything too. I just real quick do
want to send a shout out to all the entertainers that are a part of this event. We're talking
especially in Chris's circumstance. Very busy. Very busy schedule. Very booked. To make the time
to make the effort to be a part of something like this shows how much they care about this event,
how much they back this event and want to be a part of it and how much they love this area.
I encourage our community to show our show what we're made of and to be a part of this event,
to add to this event if you can and even if it isn't this event that you can't make it to. There
are other opportunities to help the Alexi Dove Foundation. When we talk about volunteering,
when we talk about donations, it's an investment, an investment in your community. That's what you're
doing with something like this. It is strangers helping strangers in some cases. Some of these families
to come and you stay at the Doves Nest, you may not know them, but they you know their stories.
You've heard stories like this. You have family members that have similar stories. Here is our
opportunity to put back into our state, put back into our community, help locals, all of the above
and just by being a part of this great event and taking it some really good music, some really good
food and not for nothing. You are so right about these prizes. These packages give way. We have
some great sponsors and you guys do a great job with those baskets and everything. There's a lot
of variety down there. A lot of fun. Yeah. What we decided this year was that we were going to have
prize packages that were valued at between $1,000 and $2,000. We've got a tool package with
Milwaukee drills and toolbox and a lot of great items in that package that's over $1,500 worth
of tools. We've got a grill package with a trigger smoker and that is valued at over $1,300.
We've got a cash package of $1,500. We have an entertainment package that has a 65-inch Samsung
smart TV, Bose sound bar with a lot of other great things and that's over $1,500. We've got a vacation
package two nights day for four people at the wilderness resort with with a lot of other great
things in that and that's valued over $1,500 and then my favorite of course is the one that I'm
donating. Yeah. My husband and I have a vacation rental in Rome and so I am donating. My theme is
friendships are brewing and so I'm donating a three-night stay for three ladies at our vacation rental
in the Lake Arrowhead community and with that the brewing theme is I'm doing a beer basket, a tea
basket and a coffee basket and so my package is going to be worth over $1,500. Wow. We've got a
water sports package to kayaks, splash pad, a lot of other great things for over $1,500. We've got a
camping package, Weber grill, grilling tools, a lot of other great things that's over $1,000. The
fishing package looks like our biggest one or our most valued one here. We've got an elk river,
custom walleye rod and shock and almost ski rod. Oh yeah. I don't know what that is. It's nice
right. But the fishing package is right around $2,000 and we also have a sports package that is worth
about 1700. So that's just a quick run through. You can find out information, more specific
information on our Facebook page and I've been updating the website with our sponsors, all of
our sponsors are listed there and I did want to mention to kind of going back to the cabin
that people have asked, how do I apply? And you can go to our website, click on the application
and you can download the application right on our website. It's super, super simple.
Fill out the application and maybe one of the hardest things is to wrestle your doctor down and
just get their signature on there just verifying that you have a life threatening illness.
But it's very, very easy to do. I have had people ask how we choose people to stay out
of Dubs Nest and everyone who applies and qualifies if they have a life threatening illness.
We work with them on what dates they would like to come and everyone that is able to. It's not
like a raffle. We're just choosing certain people or we don't review applications to try to just
choose one or another. And we are, we started out during COVID a little bit slow with people coming
and things have really taken off. We are booked from mid May till mid October and we had people
come also in the winter. We are open year round. So please go to our website and download the
application and get that into us as soon as possible if your family member would like to stay.
That website also has a couple of other opportunities for you on there to not only find out about
this event, connect with our Facebook page, you can even tour the cabin itself and check that out and
see some of that. I think that is a really neat feature on there, especially for families that are
looking at doing this and applying. And again, that application process is right there for you at
Alex C. Dove Foundation dot org. That's Alex C. Dove Foundation dot org. With this event too,
want to remind everybody, this is such a family event like you and your buddies can go down there
and have a good time too. Bring the family down. This is a great event for that. There's going to be
something for everybody to do and a lot of great entertainment at the fifth annual Dubs Nest fundraiser
going on Saturday May 18th from 10 to 11 over a beautiful camel out on the lake at 298 Leisure Lake
Lane in Nucusan, Rome. And do you need it if people have followed questions? They want to know more
about some what we talked about today, maybe volunteering, maybe donating or some of these things.
How can they get in touch with you? Well, the probably the easiest way is to email us at
Alex C. Dove Foundation at gmail.com. And that's a great way to connect with us. You can also just
give me a phone call if that works out better for you. My phone number is 715 570 2283. And if you
didn't catch that and you want to just go to the website, the information is on there too. There's
a connect area where you can type in a message to us. That's on our website also. And so it's
pretty easy to connect with us. I just had a lady tell me the other day that she heard. I'm very
responsive. So I was like, Oh, that was a good feeling. That's good feeling. If you are, you are.
You're fantastic. Please do us a favor say hi to the whole team over there at Dubs Nest and all
the good work that you guys do at the foundation. We appreciate you. Thank you for the opportunity.
Thank you. Find out more information at Alex C. Dove Foundation dot org Alex C. Dove Foundation
dot org and be sure to follow them on Facebook. You can just type in your search bar Alex C. Dove
Foundation. It should pop right up for you and be a part of the event. The Dubs Nest will meet
you there at the fifth annual fundraiser going on Saturday May 18th, 10 to 11 over a camelat on
the lake. We'll be back one more midday magazine for you right here at 97 5 FM 13 20 AM WFHR locally
grown radio.
