A family member’s leukemia diagnosis and remarkable recovery have inspired the launch of a new fund at Greater Pike Community Foundation. The Woodloch Family Fund, created by the proprietors of the Woodloch Resort in Hawley, will make charitable distributions in support of cancer research while also funding programs offering compassionate care and respite for cancer patients and their families.
“Our family’s passion about cancer research started with my brother’s oldest son—my nephew Bob—who was diagnosed with leukemia in 1999 at the young age of 29,” said Steve Kiesendahl, vice president of Woodloch Inc. and a member of the board at Greater Pike. “At the time, he had just gotten married and had just signed on to be a principal manager at Woodloch.” The oldest son of the third generation to own and operate the family-run resort, Bob Kiesendahl is now the food and beverage director at Woodloch.
The diagnosis “turned all of us upside-down, as it does in all cases of cancer,” Steve Kiesendahl said. “It was urgent that Bob get treatment as soon possible and he was taken to Penn State Cancer Institute, where the lead doctor recommended transfer to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, then the leading research center for leukemia.”
Bob went through what his uncle described as “heavy treatments to stop the cancer’s growth.” At the same time, his friends and family were tested for bone marrow matches. No one matched, but remarkably, the hospital found a 90 percent match in a donor from Florida, a man unknown to the family, who “generously donated his bone marrow,” said Steve. The family considers the donation a miracle, and Bob Kiesendahl remains in contact with the donor who saved his life to this day.
Bob was hospitalized in isolation in Seattle for two months for the bone marrow transplant. “It was a terrible time for us,” said Steve, as the family was not allowed to visit, only to call. “He saw many of his hospital mates go through similar treatment and not survive—including young children whom he had befriended.”
Bob vowed that if he survived, he would give back by raising money for cancer research and speaking about his experience so as to fortify others facing the same ordeal. And in the years since his recovery, Bob Kiesendahl has done just that. He has spoken at hospitals all over the country, paid visits to numerous cancer patients and hosted many fundraisers, including the annual BK Invitational Golf Tournament at the Woodloch Springs Country Club.
Most recently, Bob has worked with the widow of a cancer victim who organizes travel and getaways for the burned-out family members of cancer patients. Not only is Woodloch one of their venues, but the resort has also donated land for construction of a respite center nearby. “We have partnered with her to help with the operations,” said Steve.
The Woodloch Family Fund at Greater Pike is an outgrowth of these efforts. The fund will make donations to various causes and organizations in the greater Pike County area, specifically those advancing cancer research while also providing compassionate care. The fund also supports children facing cancer and other disabilities, helping to improve their quality of life through meaningful programs and resources.
This new fund is one of more than 50 funds at Greater Pike that support area nonprofits and local students through grants and scholarships. Gifts to Greater Pike’s endowment are invested to grow, building a permanent resource that will sustain Pike County into the future. To open a fund, contribute to an existing fund, or learn more, contact Rick Little, Executive Director, at (570) 832-4686 or ricklittle@greaterpike.org, or visit greaterpike.org.
