On Thursday, Aug. 22, over 40 local restaurants will join together to raise funds to support the work of Children’s Wisconsin Hospital.

Among them are The Calderone Club Downtown and San Giorgio Pizzeria Napoletana, restaurants owned by the Fazzari family, who created the event Do Good with Food in collaboration with the Milwaukee Kitchen Cabinet.

The annual event was inspired by Vivianna, the Fazzari’s daughter, whose life was saved by the Emergency Department and Trauma Center and Neonatal Intensive Care teams at Children’s Wisconsin.

The inaugural Do Good with Food took place in 2019. That first year, the Fazzaris donated a percentage of restaurant sales to Children’s Wisconsin on their daughter’s birthday. The second year, they partnered with seven restaurants. Four years later, the event has grown from seven to 42 participating restaurants and entertainment venues. 

“I can’t imagine what our life would be without Vivianna. Our family is incredibly thankful to the restaurants who will help recognize the miracle of our daughter,” notes Fazzari. “More importantly, they are helping support the miracles that happen every day at Children’s Wisconsin. I hope every one of their establishments are full, so we can raise more money and help save the lives of even more kids.”

Viviana’s story

In 2013, shortly after bringing their newborn Viviana home from the hospital, Leanne and Gino Fazzari noticed that she was lethargic and her skin was rapidly losing its pink tone. They immediately drove her straight to Children’s Wisconsin, where they knew they’d get the best care.  

As Leanne carried her new baby into the Emergency Department, Vivianna stopped breathing. A Children’s Wisconsin nurse walking out of the Emergency Department took one look at the baby, grabbed the car seat and rushed her inside. A code blue was called, alerting the emergency team that a child had stopped breathing and needed to be resuscitated. While the team was able to revive her, she was unable to breathe on her own, so she was put on a ventilator and admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

That first night, the Fazzaris were told their baby might not make it. She was still not breathing on her own and doctors were unsure of the cause. 

However, Vivianna persevered and during her 27-day stay in the NICU doctors determined a thoracic duct tear was the root cause. During feeding, the tear caused breast milk to leak into her chest cavity, which ultimately forced one of her lungs to collapse and her heart to shift its weight onto her other lung, suffocating her. Thanks to her quick diagnosis and expert care, Vivianna fully recovered. Today, she is a happy, thriving young girl.

“If it had not been for the quick thinking and highly skilled team working that day, our daughter would not be here with us today,” said mom Leanne Fazzari. “Few emergency departments can, without notice, time to prepare, or proper diagnosis save a fully coded newborn.”

How to "Do Good with Food" 

All you need to do to support Do Good with Food is choose to patronize one of the 42 participating restaurants on Thursday, Aug. 22. 

In turn, each establishment will donate a percentage of food and/or beverage sales to Children’s Wisconsin. Funds will support the neonatal intensive care unit, emergency department and the Nourishing Partners Program, which provides services and community partnerships to help families access nutritious food.

If you're unable to participate in the event, please consider donating to Do Good with Food at this link. 

Participating venues include:

1. 600 East Cafe
2. Amped Karaoke
3. Axe MKE
4. Bacchus – A Bartolotta Restaurant
5. Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro
6. The Bridgewater Modern Grill
7. Bobby’s Bar
8. Buckatabon Tavern & Supper Club
9. Calderone Club (Downtown)
10. Calderone Club (Fox Point)
11. Carnevor
12. Centraal Grand Cafe & Tappery
13. Central Standard Crafthouse & Kitchen
14. City Market Cafe & Bakehouse (Shorewood and Wauwatosa)
15. District Fore
16. Egg & Flour Pasta Bar 
17. The Edison
18. Harbor House
19. Joey Gerard’s – A Bartolotta Supper Club
20. Major Goolsby's
21. Mr. B’s – A Bartolotta Steakhouse (Brookfield)
22. Mr. B’s – A Bartolotta Steakhouse (Mequon)
23. Bryant's on the Round
24. The New Fashioned
25. Nine Below
26. North South Club
27. Oak Barrel Public House
28. Ristorante Bartolotta dal 1993
29. San Giorgio Pizzeria Napoletana
30. Saz’s State House
31. Steny's Tavern
32. Steny's Lake Country
33. Sweet Diner
34. Third Street Tavern
35. Timmer's Resort
36. Vagabond
37. Ward's House of Prime
38. Water Street Brewery (Delafield)
39. Water Street Brewery (Grafton)
40. Water Street Brewery (Oak Creek)
41. Who's on Layton
42. Who's on Third