Fun-loving Rockford woman’s legacy lives on through support for breast cancer care at UW Health
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Shortly before her death from breast cancer in 2021, Maggie Rudolph confessed to her mother that she was afraid people would forget her after she died.
Her father, Ron Rudolph, pitched the idea for a fundraising golf outing, and Maggie quickly grabbed a paper and pen to start jotting down notes for their plan.
Maggie had always been the life of the party, her father said. So it’s fitting that she helped organize one that would continue on for years after her death. She identified some charities to benefit from the fundraiser and listed several close friends who would serve as volunteers.
“Then she wrote, chairman: dad,” Ron Rudolph said. “She died about a month later. So she never made it to the first outing.”
Maggie Rudolph died March 12, 2021, at age 37. Less than five years later, The Margaret M. Rudolph Trust has raised $328,500 from the annual golf outings and other fundraising events.
On Thursday, Ron Rudolph, surrounded by many of those friends that his daughter had listed years ago, presented another donation. The group presented a $54,000 check to support the Margaret M. Rudolph Endowment Fund, which helps support cancer patients at UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital. The fund is designed to provide a sustainable, long-term source of money for cancer care. In that respect, Ron Rudolph said his daughter’s name will never be forgotten.
“The endowment fund in her name will live on in perpetuity,” he said. “Even after I’m gone, there will be Maggie’s name there and she’ll be helping people.”
The check was presented during the SwedishAmerican Health Foundation board meeting on Thursday. The foundation also received an $18,000 donation from Inspiration for Hope, an organization founded by Terri Johnston to support local breast cancer patients. The organization ceased operations when Johnston moved to Tennessee, and the donation was made with its remaining funds.
“These gifts are powerful reminders that generosity and love can turn loss into lasting impact,” said Mike Broski, chairman of the SwedishAmerican Health Foundation Board. “Because of donors like these, patients in our region receive remarkable health care and hope for a better tomorrow.”
Dr. Lacey Stelle, a surgeon and the medical director of UW Health’s breast program, said donations helped support the hospital’s lease of a Paxman scalp cooling system. The technology helps reduce chemotherapy-induced hair loss.
“It allows women to maintain their dignity, their sense of self, their self esteem, during a very challenging time of receiving chemotherapy,” Stelle said. “Prior to this additional funding, we were only able to have one cap available most times. Now we’re able to have two caps available for more patients.”
The checks were handed over with a backdrop of photos that showcased Rudolph’s fun-loving side, including a shot of her diving down a Slip ‘N Slide during a backyard party.
“Maggie was the type of person who liked to bring people together to have fun,” Ron Rudolph said. “She threw the Slip-N-Slide parties in my backyard. I bought some karaoke equipment, she’d have big karaoke parties in my house. That was just Maggie.”
She was a 2001 graduate of Jefferson High School who went on to earn an associate’s degree at Rock Valley College. She worked as a bartender at several local establishments including Jax Pub, Buster’s and Stumpy’s, where friends say she created a familial feel for anyone who walked through the door.
Maggie’s mother, Paula, died in January 2023, and her father has continued to lead the nonprofit in his daughter’s honor.
The group’s next fundraiser is slated for Feb. 28 at Cherry Bowl. There’s also a guest bartender night in the works at Stumpy’s, and the annual golf outing is slated for Sept. 12 at Forest Hills Country Club.
“I have faith she’s looking down at us and very proud of what we accomplished in her memory,” Ron Rudolph said.
Maggie Strong | How to help
Visit MaggieStrong.org to learn more about Maggie Rudolph, contribute to the fundraisers or learn more about attending any of the events.
The Margaret M. Rudolph Trust
Donations of $328,500 have been paid out to the following organizations since the nonprofit’s inception in 2021.
- $160,000 to the Margaret M. Rudolph Endowment Fund at SwedishAmerican Health Foundation
- $57,500 to Northwestern Memorial Foundation and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University
- $52,500 to K Cancer Baseball & Softball
- $20,000 to Cosmo Club of Rockford
- $15,000 Pink Heals Winnebago County, IL Chapter
- $15,000 ProMedica Hospice Memorial Fund
- $5,000 to the UW Health Foundation
- $2,000 to Mom’s Angels
- $1,000 to Rock River Valley Blood Center
- $500 to the Anna Miller Foundation
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
