ASHWAUBENON (NBC 26) — It all started with a day out shopping.
“My husband and I went shopping at the Goodwill and we were just having fun," said Lisa Madison. "And the idea of why don't we turn this into a scavenger hunt..."
That thought turned into the Restoring Hope Thrift Shop Scavenger Hunt, now in it's 6th year. But beyond the fun, the proceeds go to a place near and dear to Madison's heart.
“My mom had a liver transplant and we stayed at Restoring Hope," said Madison. "It's for UW Health transplant recipients and their families, and it's, it provides affordable lodging and compassionate caring. And you're also with other people that are going through the same uncertainty and ups and downs of organ transplantation. “
Though Madison's mother is no longer with us, watching her fight inspired Madison to do more.
“it's just fun, light hearted and just, love life," Madison explains of the event. "And give, she [my mother] was a giver, like she gave and she gave.”
The event on May 7th starts and ends at Frank's Place in Seymour. Each team is sent to a different Goodwill in the Fox Cities to check items off the list. The more items checked off, the more points, and the team with the most points wins. But there are ways to make extra points, Madison explains.
“We have a Pay it Forward challenge… teams get points by donating towards the recipient, and the recipient is someone that had an organ transplant," said Madison. "So this year, it is Randy Olson, from Gillett, and he had a lung transplant from UW in January.”
In the five years of the hunt, they've raised over $16,000 for Restoring Hope.
"It really is about community spirit," said Julie Gilkay, the Communications Consultant with Goodwill. "We're another nonprofit who help people through their job training and opportunities. So really, being able to partner to help another nonprofit is important to us."
Searching for hope, while searching for treasures, and of course, as Madison puts it to honor her mother, and all mothers.
Check out the event on Facebook to register to participate on Saturday, May 7th.
