Gilda Radner’s name is back.
Two months after the Madison, Wis., chapter of the Gilda’s Club cancer charity caused an uproar in November when it announced it would drop the late funnywoman’s name from its title, the group said Wednesday it is reversing course.
The group’s board of directors voted unanimously last week to keep the name “Gilda’s Club Madison” rather than becoming the more generic "Cancer Support Community Southwest Wisconsin," said board chairman Wayne Harris.
After word of the name change and a comment from the chapter’s executive director noting that today's college students were born after Radner died, the chapter began receiving calls and emails in support of keeping Radner’s name, Harris said.
“We had gotten feedback, ‘Gosh, Gilda means a lot to us,’ and our members said that they found comfort into coming into a Gilda’s Club,” Harris said. The board's action is a result of “the outpouring of love for Gilda from our members and from the community.”
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