Georgia Magazine - July 2023 - 4

MailBOX
From THE EDITOR
Comments from our readers * Compiled by Jennifer J. Hewett
There's no age requirement when
Heartwarming stories
I want to say how much I enjoyed the Hometown Heroes feature about the story of
Grace Bunke and her mother, Vicki. [See " Vicki
Bunke: swimming to beat cancer, " May 2023, page
38; bit.ly/grace523.]
My granddaughter, Mackenzie Garrett, was a
By Amber Lanier Nagle
Hometown HEROES
By Amber Lanier Nagle
Vicki Bunke: swimming to beat cancer
Y
ou would never know it today,
but Vicki Bunke, 54, hasn't
always been a skilled swimmer.
Prior to 2018, she could barely tread
water and stay afloat, and because she
has a touch of claustrophobia, she's
always found it difficult to submerge her
face into the water.
" My daughter, Grace, was the true
swimmer in our family, " explains
Bunke, a clinical psychologist who lives
in Marietta.
In 2014, doctors diagnosed Bunke's
athletic 11-year-old daughter with
osteosarcoma (a rare bone cancer) that
had caused a large tumor to form in her
left femur and had metastasized to her
lungs. She endured 18 rounds of
chemotherapy and several surgeries,
including a partial leg amputation.
" She had always been a soccer
player and runner, up to that point, "
Bunke says. " I like to say that she traded
in a running leg for flippers and fins
in 2015, when her cancer was in
remission, and she started swimming. "
Grace was frustrated to
learn three facts: Cancer is the
leading cause of illness-related
death for children; pediatric
cancer research is consistently
underfunded; and there have
been no advancements in the
treatment of osteosarcoma in
four decades.
Bunke's determined daughter decided to take action. She
Join Vicki Bunke in fi ghting childhood cancers.
Swim Across America-Atlanta funds cancer
research, clinical trials and patient programs by
hosting charity swims, but you don't have to be
a swimmer to help. You can volunteer at an
upcoming event or donate at bit.ly/swimvbunke.
dear friend and teammate of Grace's through
Swim Atlanta and
worked hard for a
fundraiser starting the
year Grace lost her
battle with cancer. She
continues to swim in
Grace's honor.
I love reading
Vicki Bunke swims and volunteers with Swim
Across America-Atlanta to honor the life of
her daughter, Grace, and raise money for
pediatric cancer research.
raised money for pediatric cancer research through Swim
Across America (SAA)-Atlanta. SAA is a national nonprofit that
hosts charity swims throughout the country to raise money for
cancer research. Each SAA event is connected to a local
beneficiary. The SAA-Atlanta event occurs at Lake Lanier, and
money raised goes directly to grants that fund a team of
investigators and their research projects at the Aflac Cancer and
Blood Disorders Center of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
" In 2017, after she relapsed, Grace raised $20,000 to fight
cancers like hers, " Bunke says. " She died on March 25, 2018-a
day before her 15th birthday-but she still helped raise over
$120,000 that year. "
A few weeks before her death, Grace asked her mother and
oncologist Karen Wasilewski-Masker to swim in her place when
38 Georgia Magazine May 2023
38_Hometown_Hero_0523.indd 38
4/9/23 7:44 PM
she no longer could participate.
" I did it for Grace, " Vicki Bunke says. " I trained with the
same coach-Pat Eddy-in the same lane in the same pool
[where] Grace trained. In 2021, I swam in 14 Swim Across
America open-water events-one event for each year of
Grace's life. "
She dubbed this endeavor the " Amazing Grace Swim Across
America Tour, " and it raised $180,000. Today, 16 SAA swims after
she first dove into the water, Bunke continues to swim and
fund-raise to find groundbreaking cures and treatments for rare
pediatric cancers.
" I swim to honor Grace, and I swim because she can't anymore, "
Bunke says. " Grace had a saying: Hope has no finish line.
I'll continue to swim and volunteer to bring hope to others. "
Amber Lanier Nagle is a freelance writer living in Adairsville.
Georgia Magazine!
We need more stories
like this.
-Martha McManus,
Warm Springs
Thank you for all you do! I always enjoy reading the magazine and discovering
different gems around Georgia to go explore.
-Jessika Haselbauer, Richmond Hill
Encouraging young readers
My fifth grade daughter, Britsadie, saw your trivia contest in the May 2023
magazine. She loves to read and enjoyed finding the answers. She even enlisted the
help of one of her favorite teachers!
-Josey Zavala, Rhine
I really enjoyed the March 2023 trivia contest. Thanks for all you do for our
community. These articles will help all Georgians in many ways. That includes our
children.
-Susan Slayton, Winterville
They read and won!
Congratulations to Georgia Magazine's most recent trivia contest winners:
September 2022: Alyssa Giese, Waco; October: Dannell Barwick, East Dublin;
November: Lakia Ellis, Villa Rica; December: Charlotte Kincer, Ellijay; January
2023: Vicki McCorsley, Carrollton; February: Shayla Furlow, Forsyth; March:
Jerkerris Griffin, Hephzibah; April: Lois Cain, Unadilla; and May: Teri Loper,
Watkinsville. Each winner received a $25 gift card.
Want to enter? Look for our trivia contest in the magazine each month and
online at georgiamagazine.org.
Yay! Thank you for the gift card! I've played and answered the monthly trivia
contest for years. I enjoy the magazine and have learned a lot about Georgia
through the articles. Additionally, we have visited multiple sites and events that
have been featured. Keep the good news coming! Thanks again.
-Lois Cain, Unadilla
Share your thoughts. Email us at magazine@georgiaemc.com. Please include your name, address
and phone number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space.
4 Georgia Magazine July 2023
it comes to exhibiting initiative,
compassion or talent. And in an era when
many adults are looking for meaning and
purpose in their lives, kids also are
asserting who they are through the
contributions they make to society. In
this issue, we celebrate Georgia's young
people and their endeavors.
The pint-sized philanthropists and
school-age entrepreneurs featured in
" Georgia's amazing kids, " starting on page
16, are doing their parts to make the
world a better place. Their stories are just
a sampling of what Georgia's youthful
change-makers are accomplishing, and
we hope that their inspiring tales will give
you confidence in the future of our state,
our country and our world.
Some of the most important
qualities for a young person to develop
are resilience, perseverance, confidence
and discipline. Youth orchestras help
student musicians develop these and
many other positive qualities.
These organizations help young
musicians grow by offering them an
experience modeled after professional
orchestras. Read " A place to play, "
starting on page 26, to learn how
Georgia's youth orchestras are creating
a community in which musically
inclined students can thrive.
The kitchen also can provide an
environment well-suited to learning life
skills. Although it often requires patience
and a little extra cleanup, cooking with
kids has many benefits. Measuring,
stirring, chopping and plating are just a
few of the tasks that allow children to put
their academic and social skills to work in
a creative manner.
Last but certainly not least,
cooking together can be a lot of fun for
both children and adults. Turn to " More
than a meal, " starting on page 30, to
discover how you and your kids can
experience the joy of preparing and
eating a meal together.
Enjoy!
Laurel George
Editor
Laurel George
COURTESY MARTHA MCMANUS
CARRIE PRUITT

http://bit.ly/grace523 http://www.georgiamagazine.org

Georgia Magazine - July 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - July 2023