Hearts of Gold

Hearts of Gold week kicks off Sunday, October 13 with Kids Night Out from 4-6p at the high school planned by the Hearts of Gold Student Leadership Committee. T-shirt sales will be announced in each school’s newsletter and all events including restaurant and business givebacks will be updated here and on the Hearts of Gold social media pages @egrheartsofgold.

Click here for more information and to sign up for Kids Night Out!

Hearts of Gold began in 2009 when the football team decided to play a game benefiting Helen DeVos Children's Hospital after losing a fellow student to childhood cancer. 

Hearts of Gold has become  a well-established tradition within the EGR community, underscoring the importance of philanthropy and making a contribution towards the welfare of others. The program has brought attention to the capacity of every individual, regardless of age, to make a positive difference.  Hearts of Gold has raised more than $1 million supporting local nonprofit organizations.  

The 2024 Hearts of Gold nonprofit partner is Beer City Dog Biscuits!

Beer City Dog Biscuits (BCDB) was founded in 2018 by EGR alumnae Suzanne (Schuler) Wilcox ‘80 and Leslie (Wiener) Hooker ‘83. They recognized a need for their sons, EGR graduates Tanis ‘11 and Gavin ‘15, and the greater intellectual and developmental disabled (IDD) community to engage through purposeful work.

BCDB's mission is to empower IDD individuals with an opportunity to be productive every day by providing vocational training, employment, and community through the creation of delicious and nutritious dog biscuits. BCDB continuously considers “If there is a job to do, can a Brew Baker do it?”, which has provided an opportunity for IDD individuals in the greater Grand Rapids community to learn, grow, and use their unique skills across the entire organization.

Each dog biscuit is handmade and packaged with care by Brew Bakers,  who are the core of the organization’s culture and business process.  The entire organization is tailored to meet the unique abilities of each Brew Baker to enable them to participate in all aspects of the business and support project-based learning and work skill development ultimately learning valuable life skills.

Tyler, an EGR resident and Brew Baker who visits weekly, says he has learned responsibility, time management and how to make friends at BCDB. He enjoys filling the biscuit molds, because it reminds him of making cupcakes.

BCDB believes those with disabilities are essential to the community; without their presence in our workplaces, neighborhoods, places of worship, and schools, our community is incomplete! 

Click here to learn more about Beer City Dog Biscuits!

Interested in becoming a Hearts of Gold sponsor? Click here or send an email to echerveny@gmail.com or katherinehegele@gmail.com

EGR Hearts of Gold is a Michigan non-profit corporation recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.  Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Thank you to the 2024 Hearts of Gold Sponsors!

The 2024 Hearts of Gold application is now closed.

The application asks for the following information:

• Name and address of the organization 
• Contact information for the Executive Director and anyone else that will be involved 
• Website and social channels actively used 
• Must be 501(c)(3) 
• Must have a Grand Rapids presence 
• What is the organization’s Mission Statement? 
• What is the annual operating budget? 
• Does the organization have staff or volunteers to support Hearts of Gold?
• Is there a personal connection to East Grand Rapids?
• Why does this organization want to partner with EGR Hearts of Gold?  
• Is there a specific program or project the funds raised would go towards?

Ellen Cherveny echerveny@gmail.com

Kerry Hegele katherinehegele@gmail.com

Follow Hearts of Gold on Facebook and Instagram @egrheartsofgold