On October 8th, the Mickelson, Phillips and Willis families teamed up to launch a campaign supporting the latest tradition of waving to the children at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital during the Iowa home football games. This new tradition has garnered support from the whole nation and united fans of both teams for a few minutes of the game. The families created the shirts with two purposes in mind: to raise significant funds for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital by donating 100% of the shirts’ profits and to remind the kids at the hospital that others care when they look out at a sea of fans wearing a shirt in their honor.
John Mickelson, a former college football player, and his wife, Brooke, both graduated from the University of Iowa. While attending school at Iowa, they never thought they would later have to utilize the University’s hospital later on in life. When their son, Hunter, became very ill as an infant, the parents took him to see doctors in Des Moines, who couldn’t identify the problem. He was then transferred to Iowa City, where the doctors at the Stead Family Children’s Hospital were able to diagnose Hunter with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, a disorder in the kidneys that causes a malfunction in antidiuretic hormone. Thanks to the support of his doctors, Hunter’s condition has improved significantly.
The Mickelsons’ friends and fellow University of Iowa alums, Cy and Meighan Phillips, also had to take advantage of the resources at the hospital. Their daughter, Genevieve, contracted the virus E.Coli while swimming in a lake, and it attacked her kidneys.
Today, both Hunter and Genevieve are doing well. Both families say it is due to the amazing staff at the hospital. Mrs. Mickelson says, “We owe so much to the hospital there.”
The Mickelson and the Phillip families joined up with their friends, the Willises, who wanted to help support the cause. In just under a month, the t-shirt company has already sold over 9,000 shirts and donated $150,000 to the hospital. Mrs. Mickelson says, “Another goal of ours is to have as many people as possible wear the shirt the day of the blackout game, November 4th.”
The shirt is not just available for Hawkeye fans; the company recently released a red and yellow shirt for Cyclone fans, which reads “Iowa fights together.”
The shirts are $30 each for adult sizes and $18 for children sizes. To learn more about the Iowa wave shirt, you can visit their website: https://theiowawaveshirt.org
Cole Dorman • Oct 28, 2017 at 4:35 pm
It certainly is heartwarming to see everybody gather together and support a cause much greater than a single person. The t-shirts are nice, but the cause is much nicer.
Laura • Oct 26, 2017 at 11:36 am
Thisnis awesome can’t wait to get one:)
Alex Soay • Oct 26, 2017 at 10:09 am
Great article. You had some terrific information and great quotes that really bolstered your article.
Bailey Carpenter • Oct 26, 2017 at 10:06 am
I really liked this article. I never realized how much this tradition has taken off. I think it’s awesome how much money they have raised for the hospital
Hannah Allen • Oct 26, 2017 at 10:04 am
I thought the wave at the stadium was really cool and I’m glad that shirts are now available for everyone. Also the stories of the people that you used were very interesting and inspiring.