About this sponsorship:In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains.
Minnetonka’s Renee Garpestad, Ed.D., is a busy cancer survivor. She delivers her “Anything’s Possible” message every year to many through her motivational speeches. She is an expert in personal and leadership development and has worked for many companies including General Mills, 3M and Caterpillar. And this year, as a board member of Gilda’s Club Twin Cities, she is helping the club open its doors so that cancer patients will receive the support they need while they battle the disease.
Garpestad has worked as a corporate executive and has taught classes in leadership as an MBA instructor in the United States and abroad. She practices yoga, has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, loves to play golf, serves as a reserve police officer since 2004 for the Minnetonka Police Department and even wields a hammer for Habitat for Humanity.
What is the goal you are trying to achieve right now?
In 2010, I joined the board of directors of Gilda’s Club Twin Cities, an organization committed to providing free social, emotional and psychological support to anyone touched by cancer—men, women, teens and children. We purchased our Minnetonka-based clubhouse in February 2012 and are in the process of renovating the space so we can begin delivering programs and services this year. Our greatest challenge right now is raising the remaining one million dollars needed to achieve our capital campaign goal of $3.8 million.
What inspired you to take on this challenge?
Gilda’s Club Twin Cities is named after Gilda Radner, the famed comedienne who died from ovarian cancer in 1989. Her wish was that no one should ever have to face cancer alone. When someone is diagnosed with cancer, they typically spend only 30% of their time with medical professionals. I want to ensure that support is there for the 70% of the time when people are on their own.
I am a 14-year breast cancer survivor who was very blessed to have an incredible network of friends, family, neighbors and colleagues to support me during my cancer journey. In fact, my cancer diagnosis turned out to be one of the best things that ever happened to me because I used my situation as an opportunity to reflect on my life, determine how I really wanted to live and how I could make a more meaningful contribution in the world. Not everyone is as fortunate as I was so opening Gilda’s Club Twin Cities is a challenge I am thrilled to be a part of.
What will you do when you succeed?
The Twin Cities is a very generous community and I am confident that corporate sponsors, foundations and individual private donors will continue to step up and help us complete our capital campaign so we can open our iconic red doors this year. That’s the first part of success. What I look forward to the most is the opportunity for Gilda’s Club Twin Cities to serve our community for many years in the future with networking and support groups, lectures, workshops and social events, along with structured programs for kids and teens. That will be real success!