About Extend The Wave

   Our mission is to extend the hope inspired by the Hawkeye WAVE to children and families beyond Iowa's borders. Extending THE WAVE is inspired by Iowa Hall of Fame Swimmer, Kimberly Stevens, and her surviving children Victoria, and Daniel.

"THE HAWKEYE WAVE" has been called the best tradition in college football. At the end of the first quarter of University of Iowa home football games, 70,000 individuals, including fans, players, coaches, and officials, unite to send a WAVE of hope to children and their families at the Stead Children's Hospital, which overlooks Kinnick Stadium.

This act of kindness and unity serves as a beacon of hope and inspiration, offering children and their families a brief respite from the challenges they face in the hospital.

Kimberly is no stranger to this type of challenge. Two years after the 1992 death of her baby son, Braden, to Citrullinemia, Kimberly’s daughter, Victoria, was diagnosed with the same disease. Doctors feared Victoria would not survive even one week. Kimberly and Victoria spent four years in and out of life-threatening crises resulting in numerous hospitalizations until Victoria was “cured” by a 1997 liver transplant. This Fall marks another miraculous moment: Against all odds, Victoria turns 31. 

With this incredible journey in mind, Kimberly, Victoria, and Daniel want to inspire others to “NEVER GIVE UP” by extending THE WAVE of support to children and families in Orlando on September 7th, 2024. 

With your financial help on September 7th, when Iowa State takes on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium, THE WAVE of hope will reach Orlando children and families. Prior to the game, families will receive t-shirts and game watch packs that include football-watching snacks, and a stadium blanket. A tailgate-style lunch will be served to all families in the parent lounge. When the first quarter ends, children and families will experience THE WAVE on their own screens, allowing them to connect emotionally to the HOPE pouring out of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium.