Gretchen Florescue has been supporting Shaw Cancer Center for more than a decade. Her commitment to giving back, inspired by her father, Barry Florescue, helps ensure that members of our community can continue to access quality cancer care.
Called to Give
Gretchen was adopted as a baby and raised in New York. From day one, her parents told her she was meant to be theirs. Her brother, Geremy, came to the family the same way. “Being adopted is at the core of who I am,” Gretchen says.
Over the years, Gretchen built a career centered on giving back, earning degrees in social work and education. She has worked in hospital emergency rooms, led residential youth programs, supported pregnant teens at Florence Crittenton, and opened a nonprofit school in Costa Rica.
A Father’s Cancer Journey
Gretchen’s father, Barry Florescue, grew up in poverty, working two jobs before earning a scholarship to the University of Rochester. He went on to build a successful career in business, choosing to give back quietly and avoiding recognition. His actions left a lasting impression on Gretchen.
In 2013, Barry was diagnosed with kidney cancer. Gretchen supported him through every stage of his illness, advocating unsuccessfully with her father and his care team for a more holistic approach alongside traditional treatment. After years of fighting, he passed away in October 2017.
“I always try to live a healthier lifestyle, the best that I can. I just wanted that for him,” Gretchen says, wishing he had access to compassionate, whole-person care that looks beyond the disease, like the care offered at Shaw. “I knew it was inevitable, but I would have had more time with him.”
Continuing a Legacy of Giving
Since Barry’s passing, Gretchen has been intentional about honoring his memory through the causes he cared about. She supports the Children’s Diabetes Foundation, a disease he battled alongside cancer, and funds Title IX scholarships through Denver Public Schools — a direct tribute to the scholarship that gave her father his own start in life. She also funds four summer camp scholarships each year through the Chabad of Vail, honoring the Jewish traditions that keep her feeling connected to her father.
Gretchen’s connection to Shaw runs equally deep. Her father first introduced her to Colorado in 1981, and she moved to Vail in 2001. She initially got involved with Shaw through Pink Vail in 2012, and what began as a fun community event took on deeper meaning as Barry’s cancer journey progressed.
Today, she continues her support through Hike, Wine & Dine, an annual event that raises critical funds for programs such as Spirit of Survival and Jack’s Place, a cancer caring house. While Spirit of Survival addresses the physical and emotional effects of cancer through a variety of free support and wellness services, Jack’s Place offers a place of respite for patients and their families traveling to Shaw for treatment.
For Gretchen, supporting Shaw’s comprehensive services is her way of providing the kind of care she wishes her father had received, while also keeping his legacy of giving alive. “It’s a pebble in a pond,” she says. “These programs are a safety net for cancer patients and their caregivers.”
I wouldn’t keep supporting if I didn’t believe in it. Every program I’m part of, I truly believe is important, and I know it aligns with what mattered to my father.” – Gretchen Florescue