Children’s Wisconsin has received a $10 million campaign gift from Milwaukee community leaders and philanthropists Barri and Dave Drury, longtime supporters of pediatric health care and innovation. Their support advances Brighter Than Ever, the largest engagement and philanthropy campaign in Children’s Wisconsin history, and will propel discovery and innovation at the Children’s Research Institute (CRI).

Through the Drury Family Discovery Fund, the Drurys are helping Children’s Wisconsin retain and recruit top medical and scientific talent and amplify the reputation of Children’s Wisconsin as a world-class destination for research. This new fund complements the previously established Barri L. Drury Endowed Chair, held by Joy Lincoln, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of the Children’s Research Institute, and the Drury Chair of Pediatrics, held by David Margolis, MD, Pediatrician-in-Chief at Children’s Wisconsin.

“Barri and Dave are among our most steadfast, passionate — and humble — supporters. They have always led with heart, and we are so grateful for their generosity,” said Gil Peri, Children’s Wisconsin President and CEO. “It’s fitting that their legacy will live on and equip the next generation of physicians and scientists as they deliver transformational care for kids’ physical, dental, social and mental health.”

“The Drurys understand that people power research, innovation and discovery,” said Dr. Margolis. “When you invest in the right team members, generations of kids will have better outcomes, and that’s key to helping us fulfill our mission of having the healthiest kids in the nation.”

Innovating Through Philanthropy and Volunteerism

Philanthropic investments have served as a catalyst for breakthrough discoveries like the following at Children’s Wisconsin: 

• Revolutionizing protocols for congenital heart surgery developed in the Herma Heart Institute at Children’s Wisconsin, which radically increased survival rates and became the gold standard for cardiac centers worldwide.
  
  
• Completing a procedure to save the lives of two boys, each born without a trachea — something that no child in the United States had previously survived.
  
  
• Using genomic sequencing to determine a gene mutation in a young boy, whose life was saved after a transplant of cells taken from his umbilical cord blood. 

The Drurys’ gift will fuel the next generations of groundbreaking research and innovation at the CRI, which, as an academic partner of the Medical College of Wisconsin, is the most powerful concentration of pediatric research in the region and supports more than 1,000 clinical trials. This includes a focus on the future of precision medicine, which integrates individual patients’ genetic, environmental and lifestyle information to understand the cause of childhood disease and develop the most optimal treatment plan, and efforts to detect and prevent suicide during screenings at Children’s Wisconsin regional clinics and Emergency Department.  

Barri, a community volunteer and former nurse, and Dave, an investor and retired business owner, have been connected to Children’s Wisconsin for more than 40 years as volunteers, benefactors and advocates. Their connection to Children’s Wisconsin started with participation in the inaugural Al’s Run & Walk in 1978 and has continued through service on various boards and committees in the decades since. 

Barri and Dave championed the incorporation of the CRI in 2004, and Dave served as chair of the Children’s Wisconsin System Board from 2009-13. Barri served as a board director for the Children’s Wisconsin Foundation from 2014-2025.

From 2019-25, Barri and Dave served as co-chairs of the Spark Forward pillar of the Brighter Than Ever campaign, focused on advancing physical health through innovative care delivery and research. Barri also was an architect for the Brighter Than Ever campaign’s volunteer engagement and advocacy efforts statewide. Their two daughters and families also support Children’s Wisconsin as benefactors, volunteers and advocates. 

“Barri and Dave have been unwavering champions of research and driving awareness to the cutting-edge innovation happening at Children’s Wisconsin,” said Meg Brzyski Nelson, President of the Children’s Wisconsin Foundation. “Their personal engagement leaves a deep legacy for the entire community.”  

In recognition of the Drury family’s leadership, Children’s Wisconsin will name its Board Room and adjacent hospitality and meeting spaces the Barri and David Drury Leadership Suite. 

“It is a privilege and joy to be part of the Children’s Wisconsin family, and we do consider all the care providers and team members family,” said Barri, noting that they will continue supporting Children’s Wisconsin as volunteers. “Dave and I can’t think of a better way to power the future of scientific research and discovery than by supporting this world-class institution. The future is bright for Wisconsin’s kids and families, and we are grateful to be a part of it.”