Krause's Cafe fundraiser collects $25,000 for heart surgery

Following a two-week fundraising campaign in partnership with nonprofit HeartGift, Krause’s Biergarten and Café raised $25,000 to completely fund heart surgery for Salimat, a three-year-old girl from Uganda.

“We are thrilled to be able to help Salimat receive the surgery that will save her life,” Krause’s owner Ron Snider said in a press release. “Thanks to our customers and staff who all stepped up to help us make our goal. It is amazing to be able to give back in this way.”

HeartGift is a nonprofit that provides congenital heart defect surgery to children from areas around the world without readily available specialized medical care, according to HeartGift’s website.

Through donations collected by Krause’s fundraiser, Salimat and her family were able to travel to the United States for her surgery, which took place Jan. 17 at University Children’s Health Heart Center.

“We are so grateful to Krause’s for their support of the work that we do,” said Lauren Willers, HeartGift San Antonio board chair, in a press release. “It is only through generous contributions like this that we are able to carry out our mission of providing lifesaving heart surgery to children who would not have access to it otherwise.”

According to Kristi Jones, director of marketing and community relations for HeartGift, Salimat is recovering well and returned home to Uganda on Feb. 17.