Brooklyn native Tony Cecalupo made his first visit to UWM’s Manfred Olson Planetarium in the 1970s, when he was a pediatric resident at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital, now Children’s Wisconsin. He and his future wife, Vicki Marinkovich, a medical technologist at the hospital, both enjoyed spending time under the stars.
A pediatric hematologist/oncologist, Tony went on to a career in academic medicine at schools including Tufts University School of Medicine and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. When he retired 12 years ago, he and Vicki moved to Mukwonago and began making regular visits to the UWM planetarium. They also became donors.
“We love taking our grandnieces and nephews there,” Tony says. “There’s something inspiring about seeing young people looking up at the stars.”
That’s why, to celebrate the planetarium’s 60th anniversary, the Cecalupos are funding a Planetarium Challenge during 414 for UWM Giving Days on April 13-14. They’ll unlock an extra $10,000 when 60 donors make a gift to the planetarium. You can follow the status of the Planetarium Challenge and all Giving Days activities and real-time updates at uwm414day.org.
For the Cecalupos, giving back is an investment in the future. As members of UWM’s Alice G. Chapman Society, they have chosen to leave a legacy through a planned gift. Their giving also honors the memory of Vicki’s mother, Beverly Marinkovich, a UWM graduate and longtime teacher.
“We want to make a difference where it matters most,” Tony said. “For us, this means making society better. We believe that if you want a better society, you need better people, and education is the bedrock of a better society.”
