2022-23

As the 2022-23 school year opens at colleges and universities across the country and students and faculty begin to meet face-to-face, Josh’s Fund looks forward to reconnecting with student organizations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in hopes that their philanthropic work can be directed to Josh’s Fund, as it has over many years. We look forward as well to resiliency support events to be held both by the Siteman Cancer Center’s Josh Gottheil Memorial Fund for Resiliency Support and by the newly established Josh Gottheil Memorial Nurse Resiliency Fund at Carle Health.

2020-22

As the Covid Pandemic hit the world, everyone and everything was affected. Our organization has always worked to support nurses because we know they are on the frontlines and can make the difference between life and death for their patients. The pandemic has highlighted this fact even more and we continue to call them what they are—heroes.

Josh’s Fund was of course affected by the world-wide shutdown as well but our supporters came through with generous donations including some via Amazon Smile and book royalties from My Name Is Blue, and event sponsors adjusted to the current reality. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes Jewish Hospital/Washington University held the Josh Gottheil Memorial Resiliency Symposium virtually; the Oncology Nursing Foundation awarded Career Development Awards for a record number of oncology nurses working with bone marrow and stem cell patients who were able to attend educational conferences virtually; Eric Schor held his Facebook Birthday Fundraiser which is traditionally a virtual event. The Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity was unable to hold the Gottheil Cup ice hockey match as the ice arena was closed along with most areas for students to gather on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, but they held a fundraiser for Josh’s Fund in cooperation with Chipotle.

2019

Past Events

Each of the performances and events listed here were held as benefits. The Throwing Muses, the Flaming Lips, The Pixies, were all top bands that Josh had brought to Champaign-Urbana and immediately upon word of his death they offered to come to town to perform as benefits for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Since that time the Josh Gottheil Memorial Fund for Lymphoma Research has been the beneficiary of the performances, events and fundraisers that follow.

Performances

The Throwing Muses
Mable’s with Titanic Love Affair, Hot Glue Gun, Bowery Boys –1989

The Flaming Lips
Tritos with Titanic Love Affair – 1989

The Pixies
Foellinger Auditorium sponsored by StarCourse with Titanic Love Affaiir, Little Engine – 1989

Localpalooza
sponsored by WPGU, Kam’s, Star Course at Foellinger Auditorium with 10-Year-Old’s Nirvana Cover Band, Soulstice, Moon Seven Times, JambuRiver, Bludgers, Charming Beggars – 1994

Jam for Josh
Foellinger Auditorium with Luna with Sarge, Menthol, Hum – 1997

Tanya Donnelley
Mabel’s with Space Age Polymers, Lanterna– 1997

Pay or Play by Ward Gollings
The High Dive with The Poster Children, The Outnumbered, Cowboy X – 2009

The Pygmalion Festival 2014, 2015, 2016
To honor the memory of Josh Gottheil and his contributions to the Champaign-Urbana music scene Josh’s Fund was named the official charity of The Pygmalion Festival

Special Recognition

Seth Fein, Henry Frayne, Tony Poulos

Events

           

Matt George’s Ace Leukemia II-VII, 1994-1997, 2000, 2002

Featuring Jeff George and Walter Payton and scores of other NFL and University of Illinois football players, and TV personality, comedian and author Jeff Foxworthy.

Robert Auler’s Champaign County Colts Baseball Team
Colts vs. Springfield Rifles, Illini Field, July 20, 1995

University of Illinois BLOCK I
“JOSH’S FUND” formation – 2004

Dulak Pilates Center—Cynthia Lochard Master Class Fundraiser for Josh’s Fund, 2014

Tailgates

Between the years 1994 and 2009, hundreds of students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, wearing tee-shirts proclaiming “Help Fight Cancer,” volunteered to raise funds at U of I football tailgate gatherings, often early on a cold Saturday morning or on a too warm Saturday afternoon. Many of these volunteers told how their lives were touched cancer, in some cases by losing loved ones—a sister or brother, a mother or father, a grandparent or a friend. At times a visiting friend or family member joined in the effort, including moms, dads and siblings. The names of the many students and others who volunteered for to raise funds at the tailgates are not listed here but their generosity, resulted in major contributions to Josh’s Fund during those years.

Special recognition:

Eric Edwards, Sally Campbell, Charlotte Reeder

Student Fundraisers

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign fraternities, sororities, dorms, and other residences, clubs or other student organizations that have organized and/or contributed to fund raisers and worked to garner contributions from fellow students, other individuals, and businesses.

Special recognition:

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity

Every year since 2002 the SigEps have dedicated their philanthropic efforts to Josh’s Fund and have proven themselves to be among its most loyal and generous supporters. Their enthusiastic work on behalf of Josh’s Fund remains constant. In 2015 they established the Gottheil Cup, an ice hockey game played at the University of Ilinois at Urbana-Champaign Ice Arena that they plan to be an annual event. The SigEps have been joined by Acacia, Delta Tau Delta, and Phi Delta Theta fraternities to vie for the Gottheil Cup. This event brings cheering audiences of U of I students as well as friends and family members to see excellent hockey and raise major donations for Josh’s Fund.

Sigma Phi Epsilon – Illinois Alpha received the Honor of Philias Award for the philanthropic work they do for the Josh Gottheil Memorial Fund for Lymphoma Research on August 4, 2017.

Presented at the 55th Grand Chapter Conclave of Sigma Phi Epsilon, this award recognizes an individual or group who has in a unique and unselfish way performed an act or demonstrated love and affection, bringing to life the third cardinal principle of the fraternity, brotherly love. With thanks to Jack & Kate Wheeler who established the Honor of Philias award.