MARQUETTE, Mich. (WJMN) – Ground has officially been broken to build the Steve Mariucci Family Beacon House. A groundbreaking ceremony was held late Friday to morning to celebrate the milestone.
“When the hospital moved, we needed to be here,” said Iron Mountain native, Steve Mariucci, Beacon House Donor and former NFL head coach. “We needed to be close and so we’re going to be bigger and better than ever.”
The facility provides a home away from home for hospital patients and their families. Phase one for the new building was to raise $3 million to break ground. Friday’s ceremony was a chance to thank their donors, their biggest donor being Mariucci who emphasized at the event that ‘Yoopers help Yoopers.’
“You don’t forget where you came from and how do you forget the U.P.,” said Mariucci. “I have so many friends and family and classmates and teachers and you name it. This is home.”
Being a guest at the Beacon House in the past while is mother was in hospital, Mariucci pledged $300,000 when The Legacy of Love Capital Campaign launched to build this new facility.
“Just to make it a little bit easier on these families that are going through a real tough time, said Mariucci. “That’s our aim.”
Tom and Kelly Reynolds from Chicago also shared why the Beacon House is important to them.
“[It was a] Guys trip and out doing fishing and all the silly things us guys like to do,” said Tom. “We were ATV-ing and my son was in accident.”
The Reynolds family ended up staying at the Beacon House for three weeks while their son Mike was in the hospital.
“The people that were there, not only the staff but the other guests that were there, we shared our stories, we got to know each other, we cried together, we hugged together,” said Tom. “They became family.”
Mike was able to give the gift of live and become an organ donor. His family raised $125,000 to show their appreciation.
Mariucci Official work will begin on the site on Monday.
Fundraising efforts are still underway. For more information on the campaign or to make a donation, click here.
