Couple takes family photos to donate session earnings to American Family Children’s Hospital
FALL RIVER, Wis. — A couple in Lake Mills are working to change children’s lives one photo session at a time.
Paul and Nicki Gero recently moved to Wisconsin to be closer to family after living in Orange County, California, for the past several years.
During their time there, Paul Gero was inspired by another photographer to take photos of children and families to capture special moments in their lives, and later compile them all into a book at the end of the year. But they wanted to take things to the next level and do something even more charitable that would have a greater impact.
“We were trying to decide what charity we would like to donate to when we were first thinking about this project and then we just came across and thought, ‘Well, of course we need to donate to the children’s hospital. It’s a children’s project.’ And a lot of our clients have been in the hospital, or been affected by the hospital, and so everyone feels really warmly toward children’s hospitals,” Nicki Gero said.
While they started this project in 2008 for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County, they wanted to continue the project for the American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison.
“It’s great for folks who have decided they were going to do a session anyway, and now they get to do it and help for charity, too,” Paul Gero said.
Paul Gero is a former photographer for the Chicago Tribune. He said he left the newspaper industry to focus on his own family and to help capture moments through still photos that families could keep forever.
Before moving back to Wisconsin, the Geros raised more than $70,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Their goal for the American Family Children’s Hospital is to raise $10,000 this year.
“Getting a portrait is something people want to do, but don’t often have a reason to do it. This book project gives them a reason to do an annual family portrait. Or at least portraits of their kids,” Paul Gero said.
Each photo session costs $100, and clients get to choose how many photos they would like.
A couple in Lake Mills takes photos for families and donates all the money they make to the #AmericanFamilyChildrensHospital. YOU get to choose how many photos you want. They call it a win-win-win for you, them, and the hospital. #News3Now pic.twitter.com/aiRh2lwppp
— Jamie Perez (@JamiePerezTV) April 19, 2019
All participants will have one photo placed in a book the Geros will put together at the end of the year called “Kids of Wisconsin 2019”.
“The great thing is it just helps everyone come together through the charity, through the families who want great portraits, and for us to find the clients who will really value what we do,” Paul Gero said. “I really value family. And that’s what’s so great about these photos is that these are family photos that will live longer than me and Nicki, and longer than the parents.”
If you are interested in getting professional photos taken or would like to contribute to the Geros charity project, you can reach them by phone at 920-728-6185 or email at nicki@paulfgero.com.
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