Bryan Wittman was corporate vice president at the Walt Disney Company when he retired after a nearly 30-year career. Today, he provides marketing solutions for companies around the world as owner of Dry Creek Marketing Group. Bryan shares why giving to Mercy Hospital Foundation is the right way to care for him.
What is your relationship with Mercy Hospital?
I was born at Mercy Hospital on the night of Buffalo’s infamous 1959 Tewksbury freighter crash that flooded the city’s First Ward, including the basement of the hospital which shut the power off. I was literally born in the pitch dark, leading a local paper to name me the “Blackout Baby.” You could say that was the beginning of my marketing career. Ever since, my family has had a connection to the hospital, from care for my mom to the birth of my granddaughter. I am also currently a board member of the Mercy Hospital Foundation.
What or who inspired you to make your first gift?
During my 63-year history, Mercy Hospital has always been there for my family and the community – it is the Southtown’s hospital. All of our combined experiences with Mercy are my inspiration for giving back.
Why do you personally feel it is important to support the Foundation?
Mercy Hospital is such an important part of the community and is needed now more than ever. As a board member of the Foundation, I have personally seen the amazing things the hospital accomplishes even in the most challenging times. Whether for my family or the community as a whole, Mercy Hospital is essential to our future quality of life.
What do you hope to achieve with your gift?
Anything we can do for Mercy Hospital makes a difference, so I leave it up to the capable people of the Foundation to direct my support where it is needed most. And those needs are constantly changing – essentially I hope to achieve the best care possible for all patients.
What is your message to others who may be considering a gift to Mercy Hospital Foundation?
Make the decision to help. We can’t always give as much as we want, but every gift matters. Think of it as giving hyper-locally as the hospital has long been an asset for all of Western New York.
Please consider giving to Mercy Hospital Foundation
Take it from Bryan – you play an important part in the right way to care by giving to Mercy Hospital Foundation. To make your gift, please use the convenient for below or visit the website to make your secure donation online at chsbuffalo.org/foundations. Any and every contribution will help. Your donation is greatly appreciated and we thank you for joining Mercy Hospital in the right way to care.
