You could say she had a flair for fundraising. In her lifetime, Madeline Bozzelli single-handedly raised millions of dollars for both local and national nonprofits, including Akron Children's Hospital and the Akron Symphony.
Madeline's passion for helping others was compounded by her extraordinary ability to draw resources together for the greater good. In 1977, she created Sugartown Express, a train-themed event that raises money for the American Diabetes Association. The annual event has since raised more than $750,000 and is the longest consecutively run ADA event in the United States.
Madeline served on the boards of countless organizations, including St. Thomas Hospital, Akron Roundtable, Akron Kiwanis Club, the Arthritis Foundation, the Greater Akron Musical Association and the Summit County Historical Society, among many others.
She was the renowned chair of such prestigious fundraisers as the Iris Ball and Cotillion for Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital; the Breakfast Club for the Alzheimer's Association; and Day at the Races for St. Thomas Hospital. Other organizations that have benefited from her fundraising efforts include the United Way, Akron Blind Center and Edwin Shaw Hospital.
In 2007, the Association of Fundraising Professionals North Central Ohio Chapter honored Madeline with the Outstanding Fundraiser Award at its National Philanthropy Day ceremony.
It is only fitting that, in 2009, she was honored with Greater Akron's ultimate distinction of service: the Bert A. Polsky Humanitarian Award.