The main goal of the “Christmas In July” Charity is to help bring smiles and comfort to children and families that have to endure hospitalizations and medical treatment!

Greg Cemke is the founder of The Christmas In July Charity here in Central Wisconsin. Here is his story:

Greg had a slim chance of surviving a near fatal ATV accident, he was given a second chance at life. That accident was not only the worst thing that has ever happened to him, but also the best thing. It changed his life to the point that He wanted to give back to the community!

“Deep within me, I always had a desire to help children in need, and that became my focus. After my recovery, I ran in the WI Warrior Dash (5k run with obstacles) and raised money for the St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital helping children fighting their battle with cancer. I am not able to run in the Warrior Dash any longer but still wanted to continue to support St Jude’s. I wanted to broaden my scope to help more children in our local community.” - Greg Cemke

He reached out to the Marshfield Children’s Hospital to inquire about their needs and explained what the “CHRISTMAS IN JULY” event idea could be. They loved the idea which resulted in the beginning of the “Christmas In July Charity”.

The Charity has grown a lot over the last 8 years. Greg has put over 8,500 volunteer hours into the charity and the Charity has raised over $300,000! He has been a guest speaker at Optimist, Be Amazing, Lions, Kiwanis, Eagles, Rotary, Knights of Columbus, Elks clubs and many local businesses. He explains the Charity and its impact on the community and how they can support it.

All year long the charity collects toys for the children, as well as procures monetary funding for special gifts that have been purchased for Child Life Specialists at the hospital to help decrease the stress and anxiety of children in the hospital.

Not only does Santa bring toys, but he also works around the clock throughout the year to raise money to purchase innovative items that are not included in our Child Life budget.

Not only does Santa bring toys, but he also works around the clock throughout the year to raise money to purchase innovative items that are not included in our Child Life budget.

Over the past 8 years the Charity has raised over $300,000! The Child Life Department has been able to purchase the following:

Nintendo Wii U’s that are permanently installed in every room in the pediatric ward.

“VR Goggles” to help distract patients during procedures and help with pain management.

“Touch2 Play” electronic games for waiting areas and play areas that allow patients and families to play games while they wait to be seen or to pass the time when hospitalized.

Portable Sensory Stations that provide a calming environment for patients to elevate stress and anxiety.

“Teaching Dolls” (Patient Puppets) These dolls can help a child work through their feelings and fears when it comes to the hospital. This is a great preparation tool! It can be used to introduce medical equipment and have the doll represent the child in order to take them through procedures.

In 2020 the charity was thrilled to raise $43,000 for a Movie System for the child’s MRI scanner. With this movie system the hospital is able to put the pediatric patients through an MRI without having to use sedation while making the scan a positive experience for them. MRI's can be difficult experiences for a child. This specialized system is now used to distract patients from the loud machine. Our goal is to help make the children as comfortable as possible while getting tests and procedures done. This system helps that happen.

In 2021 the charity was able to donate a $53,000 check to Marshfield Children's Hospital for the following items:

Mobile Magic gaming systems- Children in the Hospital will be able to have the opportunity to play games in their room, play center or family lounge. These are portable and reprogrammed systems.

Starry Starry Night- Each sedation and recovery room for children will be customized with soft twinkling star lights to provide a calming presence. This will produce a more relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.

Precious Moment Memories- Life is full of precious moments for those families that are preparing to say goodbye to their child. These families will be presented with a handmade "grasping hands" mold that will capture their love forever.

Christmas in July is way more than gifts; it's about comfort for children and families going through some of the most difficult medical experiences.

This past year the charity was able to raise $60,000 to help with the construction of the Child Life Kids Getaway Lounge. This room will allow kids to a space to relax and get out of their hospital rooms to feel like a normal kid for a while.
This is very important to have a break to relax and engage with other patients and families going through similar experiences.
It will be a great way to "get away" for healing and mental health.
It will also be a great space for the child life specialists to offer activities and rehab sessions!

For 2023 Christmas In July Charity is raising funds for the for a facility dog for the Marshfield Children’s Hospital!

Facility dogs are an intentional part of treatment, utilized for therapeutic bedsides, bereavement situations, procedures, etc. Specifically, facility dogs can be used in the following ways:

• Distractions: The facility dog will aid in distracting patients and providing comfort positioning during MRI scans, IV starts, SANE exams, catheters, and more.

• Preparations: The facility dog will be used to demonstrate what patients will experience during scans or other scary situations.

• Medical play: Patients can listen to the facility dog's heart, place an "IV" in the dog's paw, etc. to help them better understand procedures.

• Motivation: Staff can use the facility dog to motivate rehab patients to "walk the dog" or walk to the dog.

Christmas In July Charity

The main goal of the “Christmas In July” Charity is to help bring smiles and comfort to children and families that have to endure hospitalizations and medical treatment!

Team Members