PATIENT STORIES In the Business of Giving

Yuba City’s Geweke family hasbeen in the car business for three generations now — and they’ve been in thebusiness of generosity for nearly as long.

It all started when Larry Geweke partnered with the Susan G.Komen Foundation in 1997, launching a 5K in Yuba City. The event was a hugesuccess and inspired the Gewekes to continue their work for local womensuffering from female cancers, including funding mammograms for those whocouldn’t afford them and establishing the Geweke Caring for Women Foundationproviding financial assistants to patients in need.

It has since grown into 10 annual events between Yuba-Sutter andSan Joaquin counties, and is known as Pink October. With the mission of keepingall funds local, in 2016 the Geweke Family donated $50,000 to help bring a 3Dtomography machine to Yuba City — the first of its kind — ensuring the beststandard of care for the community.

The state-of-the-art technology was immediately embraced. And,considering Yuba City is one of the counties in the nation with the highestdiagnosed cases of breast cancer, the assistance couldn’t be more needed.

In fact, the need for this technology was so apparent thatcommunity fundraising immediately began to take place to secure a secondmachine. Unfortunately, a robust effort to raise funds — including from SutterHealth’s own employees — still left a shortfall.

This year, the Gewekes learned of the gap and again stepped upto the plate. The family committed to a generous $75,000 donation to completedthe fundraising need and facilitate the purchase. And while for some, baskingin a heroic glory might be tempting, to this family the priority is theirmission: caring for women.

Larry’s daughter Nancy says the commitment is simply everythingtheir dad taught them about business and about community, now coming fullcircle.

“My family moved here when I was three to buy the Ford store,”recalled Nancy. “Now my siblings and I are raising our kids right here. We’vealways known how important it is to give back.”

“They believe so much in their mission and the partnership withSutter Health,” said Lisa Hume, director of philanthropy. “Our free mammogramsthroughout the month of October[to all uninsured orunderinsured women]complement perfectly the services that theGeweke’s Pink October events offer, and their mission.”