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Costco, The Friendship Foundation and much-loved mosaic artist earn Luke honors

Richard Herdegen and his wife, Diane, at an unveiling celebration for his art at St. Luke’s Boise.

By Chris Langrill, News and Community

January 18, 2019

The Luke Award honors individuals and organizations demonstrating extraordinary commitment to fundraising efforts for St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.

This year, Costco, The Friendship Foundation and artist Richard Herdegen will be honored for their efforts.

Hosted by the St. Luke’s Health Foundation Children’s Advisory Board, the 18th annual Luke Award Ceremony will take place Thursday, Jan. 24.

This year’s honorees represent the many ways participants have supported St. Luke’s youngest patients.

Herdegen has been an artist since the 1970s and has worked in stained glass, neon and mosaic. Mosaic has become his passion.

After learning he had Parkinson’s disease, Herdegen took a matter-of-fact approach to his diagnosis, and decided to dedicate himself to his art so as to create as much work as possible while his body would still allow him to perform the intricate tasks involved in producing mosaic work. He has made multiple artworks for the enjoyment of St. Luke’s patients and families.

In 2015, Herdegen completed a 12-piece mosaic mural for St. Luke’s Children’s Specialty Center. He worked on the piece for nearly two years. In all, he spent about 3,000 hours creating the mural and seven months preparing 250,000 pieces of glass.

Herdegen’s motivation? To distract children facing frightening procedures, pain and discomfort, and maybe to lift their spirits a little.

“Even if we’re talking 10 minutes of distraction, I’m happy with that,” Herdegen said. “That’s a big score.”

Katie Apple, St. Luke’s service line administrator, said Herdegen’s mural has become an integral part of the hospital.

One of the dozens of detailed scenes within the Boise mural.

“It’s incredibly important and meaningful,” she said. “To have something like Richard’s art to enjoy is priceless.”

Costco Wholesale, headquartered in Issaquah, Wash., has raised more than $386 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN) since 1988. More than 500 Costco locations participate in fundraising for their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Costco has been supporting St. Luke’s Children’s as a CMN partner since 1988 and has raised $1.2 million to help local children. In 2018 alone, Costco warehouses in Boise, Nampa and Twin Falls donated more than $200,000 to St. Luke’s Children’s.

The Friendship Scramble started in 1987, when a group of friends banded together to host a golf tournament to help a friend, Father Pat Russell, with medical costs. The golf scramble continued, raising funds to support one St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) pediatric patient each year. This year, The Friendship Foundation will host its 32^nd annual Golf Scramble.

The 2019 Luke Award Ceremony will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, in the South Tower of the St. Luke’s Anderson Center (fifth floor). The event is free. For more information or to RSVP, contact the St. Luke's Health Foundation by email or call (208) 381-2123.