Alumnus shows ‘Badger grit’ in fund raising

Merry Anderson

David Busta is a 30-something professional with his own apartment in Minneapolis. He is a proud alumnus with a desire to give back to UW–Madison. He also is paralyzed with no feeling in his arms and legs as the result of an accident three years ago. With true Badger grit, Busta has not let this deter him from his mission to give back.

Together with his friends from high school and his parents, Dave and Carol Busta, who live in Chetek, Wis., Busta has held fund-raisers each fall for the past two years with proceeds pledged to the David Busta Spinal Cord Stem Cell Research Fund to support research at the Waisman Center. Busta’s goal for his 2004 combination basketball tournament/silent auction was to raise $25,000. He didn’t just make it; he surpassed his goal by more than $5,000. With the proceeds from his first event in 2003, Busta has raised nearly $50,000.

The 2004 basketball tournament was an eight-team, triple-elimination competition. Silent auction items included an autographed Major League Baseball, and professional football and NASCAR memorabilia. There also was a guitar autographed by Joe Walsh of the Eagles.

The generosity of Busta and his group will help fund the work of researcher Su-Chun Zhang, professor of anatomy and neurology in the Medical School. Zhang has had success in coaxing embryonic stem cells to become early-stage brain cells. The cells have been transplanted into mice, where they grew into healthy brain cells.

With more study, scientists hope to create nerve cells that can be transplanted into people to repair the damage caused by spinal cord injuries and neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s.

Busta says that although he might benefit from this research one day, his objective is to raise funds “because of my commitment to the university and because of my being a graduate from there.”

Derek Johnson, a high school friend and an event organizer, said the gifts represent both a practical use of the money and a gesture of hope.

“Our 25 grand pales in comparison to the center’s budget, but at the same time we feel like we are doing our part,” he says.

For more information, visit http://www.bustabenefit.org. The third annual event is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26.