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President and founder, Stacy Sager, and executive director, Terri Grunduski, of SagerStrong Foundation join the Atlanta Real Estate Forum podcast to share the foundation’s mission and this year’s upcoming events. They join hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick for the Around Atlanta segment.
Sager founded SagerStrong Foundation after losing her husband Craig Sager to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in 2016 after he fought a public battle with the disease for three years. SagerStrong’s goal is to share Craig Sager’s way of living – having fun and living with style. The mission is to spread awareness for blood cancer patients and support blood cancer research.
Sager said, “Craig’s whole life in the broadcast arena was showing how time is simply how you live your life. Do it with fun; do it with style.”
Previously, they have worked on projects with the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and have funded studies specifically for AML and blood cancer research. In their very first virtual event, Living Legends, the foundation raised $1.2 million. The hour-long event hosted by Ernie Johnson featured living legends Robin Roberts and Charles Barkley. The event featured a candid conversation between Johnson and Roberts, both two-time cancer survivors.
SagerStrong has a passion for focusing on pediatric blood cancer research and holding sports-oriented events to give back to kids in the community. With partners such as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Northside Hospital, the foundation sponsors fun, interactive events throughout the year.
“Craig never said, ‘why me?’ and he lived a full life,” said Sager. “But when you see a pediatric child go through this, it tears at your heart.”
Craig Sager’s passions of running and baseball inspired the foundation’s Stadium Fun Run. The event, held in conjunction with Northside Hospital, follows the concourse of Truist park and gives participants the option of walking or running. The track finishes on the warning track, allowing baseball fans to take a million-dollar photo of them finishing the run on the home plate.
Before and after the run, Tent Town is available to visit various vendors and special guests, the Atlanta Falcons! The Hometown Hero award, given annually to a pediatric cancer patient currently fighting or who has triumphed against blood cancer, is announced at the Stadium Fun Run. The award is sponsored by Grant Refrigeration and the winner will receive a $2,500 scholarship to a school of their choice. The event is scheduled for August 22.
The fourth annual Living Out Loud golf tournament is October 11 at Hawks Ridge in Ball Ground, Georgia. The tournament, named for Craig Sager’s mantra and memoir title, is an opportunity to have fun and spend time outdoors with friends and family while supporting SagerStrong Foundation and blood cancer research.
“It takes a village to make a difference,” said Grunduski. “Being able to do it piece by piece and create a legacy is what we want to do. Craig’s legacy was ‘Never Give Up, Never Give In and Fight This’ because we can if we work together. And we will find a cure someday.”
Monetary assistance is not the only way to support a foundation or spread awareness. Volunteering or donating blood to your local Red Cross is a great free way to show support. Giving back, whether it’s volunteering, donating or participating makes a big difference.
Applications are currently open for the Hometown Hero award. For more information about the SagerStrong Foundation’s mission, volunteer and support opportunities and upcoming events, visit www.sagerstrongfoundation.org.
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Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, License #22564. NMLS ID #6606. Subject to borrower and property qualifications. Not all applicants will qualify. New American Funding and SagerStrong Foundation are not associated. Click here to view the terms and conditions of products mentioned during the show. Corporate office 14511 Myford Rd., Suite 100, Tustin, CA 92780. Phone: (800) 450-2010. (August/2021)
New American Funding is a family-owned mortgage lender with a servicing portfolio of over 123,000 loans for $30.4 billion, 198 branches, and about 3,100 employees. The company offers several niche loan products and has made Inc. 5000’s list of Fastest-Growing Companies in America six times. It has a state-of-the-art career training facility and develops innovative technology, including the GoGo LO mobile application. For more information, visit www.branch.newamericanfunding.com/Atlanta.
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