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Skip Wittkofsky started a nonprofit to help children with medical issues, and all he asks for in return is a thank you.
Since he doesn’t do it alone, he also likes to thank those who help him.
On Jan. 31, Wittkofsky presented pharmacists at WinterPark Discount Drug in Wilmington with an award to thank them for the assistance they have provided.
“They’ve been so good to me I wanted to say thanks for everything they’ve done,” he said.
Wittkofsky, owner of Skip’s Truck Tire Service in Leland, has been helping New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Nunnelee Pediatric Specialty Clinic for 14 years through Dare to Care for Children.
He made a niche helping families whose insurance coverage doesn’t meet all of their needs. If they have a hardship he can alleviate, he raises funds to help cover costs.
But Wittkofsky isn’t made of money; he fundraises for it. And when he finds like-minded people who will help him help kids, he tries to support them as well.
So in January, Wittkofsky decided it was time to recognize his favorite pharmacists for making medical assistance for Dare to Care more affordable.
Wittkofsky, with Dare to Care director Sherry Lewis, her daughter Evelyn, and Leland Councilwoman Martha Currie presented the award to WinterPark Discount Drug Pharmacy Manager Shannon Seufert and staff pharmacist Kathy Myslinski.
“It started with him being a normal customer, and it has grown,” Myslinski said.
“We’re glad we can help anybody,” Seufert added.
According to Wittkofsky, the pharmacy has been instrumental in making medicine affordable for two New Hanover County boys with cystic fibrosis for the past three years.
Wittkofsky has been picking up the tab every three months for the medication because the pharmacy is willing to match the best price he can find.
He says he always searches for the best prices he can find online, then brings them to the pharmacists at WinterPark.
“When I come to them with a need for a child, they always match or beat (any other) price.”
Wittkofsky said being able to cut the price on medications for patients means there’s more money available to help another child in need.
Dare to Care also covers the cost to buy liquid food every three months for a 17-year-old whose medical condition has required he be tube-fed since he was a young boy.
Most recently, Dare to Care has provided special food for a 14-month-old Brunswick County boy.
“I wanted to say thanks with this award,” Wittkofsky said.
The clear acrylic trophy is decorated with the Dare to Care logo—the face of a smiling baby—and the inscription “Dare to Care for Children would like to say Thank You to WinterPark Discount Drug for all the help you gave us with medications and supplies for our children.”
Dare to Care is always looking for more partners to help provide assistance to children with serious medical conditions. Anyone interested in assisting fundraising with the nonprofit 501(c)(3) can contact Wittkofsky through the Dare to Care for Children website, www.daretocare4children.com.
Brian Slattery is a staff writer for The Brunswick Beacon. Reach him at 754-6890 or bslattery@brunswickbeacon.com.
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