GoWest, Credit Unions Saddle Up for a Good Cause, Raising $1.2 Million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

The Miracle Vukich family

Credit union leaders and business solutions partners collaborated to raise $1.2 million dollars for Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals located across the GoWest Credit Union Association region. The Credit Unions for Kids (CU4Kids) auction is a legacy tradition which takes place during the association’s annual MAXX , held this week in Denver. CU4Kids, now the Credit Union Movement’s national “charity of choice,” was founded in the GoWest region in the mid 1980s.

The “YeeHaw” theme Diamond Roundup saw donors kicking up dust and dollars for the kids, bidding competitively as a package to the Pendleton RoundUp Rodeo, sports tickets and local, unique travel experiences were auctioned off for CU4Kids. Red wagons, which kids can ride through the hospital, resulted in lively paddle-raising to reach the $1.2 million total.

​​“We came to MAXX ready to lasso some serious support, and our credit union community didn’t disappoint,” said GoWest President and CEO Troy Stang. “Credit unions didn’t just hit our fundraising goal—they made it like a bull rider holding on for eight seconds! It’s amazing to see how we can rope in big change for the kids when we all pull together.”

Thirteen-year-old Raven Vukich her family served as the Miracle Family for the CU4Kids auction. When Raven was 15 months old, her pediatrician discovered she had an abnormal heart murmur. After being referred to Children’s Hospital Colorado at the Anschutz Medical Campus for several tests, Raven’s parents learned that she had a form of congenital heart disease called mitral valve arcadia, which means the flap of tissue in the heart that opens and closes to make sure blood is flowing in the right direction was not working properly. She underwent open-heart surgery in October 2019.

Raven’s parents, Jeremy and Melissa Vukich told their story at the auction and shared how Children’s Hospital Colorado provided lifesaving care for their daughter. On stage, Raven and her brother Ramsden taught the audience how to rope and talked about impactful the money raised is for families like theirs.

“We’re honored to be here as the Miracle Family,” the family said. “And we’re especially grateful to be helping other families like ours. The impact of the Children’s Miracle Network and these credit unions has made all the difference to us.”

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