Playing for: Feed My Starving Children

As a Christian nonprofit organization, Feed My Starving Children is called to feed God’s starving children hungry in body and spirit. FMSC coordinates volunteers to hand-pack nutritious meals for malnourished children worldwide. These meals are distributed in over 70 countries to schools, orphanages, and clinics. My family has volunteered with FMSC several times over the years. I love their mission.

Playing for: UNIDOS MN

UNIDOS has been working hard to support immigrant families across the state, and the occupation of MN by ICE agents has put a tremendous strain on our community. UNIDOS is united in the fight to ensure working families receive dignified support to maintain documents, continue work, and survive this occupation. I am proud to support UNIDOS in their work to establish a network of care and support for our beloved community members. It is an honor to play for them!

Playing for: Journey Home Animal Resuce

Journey Home Animal Rescue is a foster-based nonprofit animal rescue committed to giving homeless or surrendered dogs and cats a safe place to land and a real chance at a forever home. Their foster network provides individualized care, medical support, and stability for every animal they take in. This mission means a lot to me personally—my husband and I adopted our German shepherd through Journey Home, and we saw firsthand how much love and effort they pour into every animal. Supporting them is my way of giving back to the organization that brought our dog into our family.

Playing for: Zenon Dance School

I recently fulfilled a lifelong dream of mine to start taking ballet lessons and decided to sign up for adult fundamental lessons at Zenon Dance School! It's been amazing to find this community of individuals dedicated to educating lifelong learners, from small toddlers to young adults to older individuals with busy lives and families. I immediately felt so comfortable and safe learning a new art form in this environment and I would love for others to have the same experience. As with many art organizations, I feel that Zenon is criminally underfunded. Our building is drafty and cold (try doing a plie in negative temps!) in the wintertime and hot and stuffy in the summer. I am so grateful that I have been able to fulfill my inner child through the expression of dance and I would love the chance to play for my school and give back to them so even more folks can discover the art of the movement.

Playing for: The Advocates for Human Rights

Growing up with a mother who worked at a non-profit blood bank, the idea of “paying it forward” has shaped my worldview from a young age. Following in her philanthropic footsteps, in college, I joined the University of Minnesota’s Community Engagement Scholars Program, which led me to volunteer for a summer as an immigration court monitor at The Advocates for Human Rights, a non-governmental international human rights organization.

Motivated by my summer work at The Advocates, I moved abroad after college graduation, spending two years in Mexico as a university English lecturer and one year in Rwanda as a college counselor. Having lived with two Mexican host families and a Rwandan family of 24 boys, many of whom have been affected in some way, shape, or form by migration systems and/or human rights violations, I grew to honor and value the incredible work that The Advocates is doing to protect people around the world facing similar issues. As someone who hopes to eventually go to law school and enter the international criminal law space, it is such a privilege to play for a charity, like The Advocates, whose mission aligns so well with my personal conviction: “Human rights for all. Today. Tomorrow. Always.”

Playing for: National MS Society

My dad was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis before I was born. I’ve seen him struggle with it my entire life. He has slowly deteriorated as I grow up, when I was little he could play catch with me, move around with ease etc but in the past decade he has become almost completely bed ridden watching my dads journey with MS has always had an impact on my life, I’ve watched my dad try a million new treatments to little avail but he has always remained hopeful for a cure and is always optimistic with every new treatment. My dad is the most inspirational person in my life and ensuring he always has a reason to stay hopeful is incredibly important to me. The national MS society is one of the reasons my dad has hope they help fund MS research along with providing resources for helping victims cope with MS. It would be an honor to not only dedicate playing to my dad but to do it for a great cause that has an active impact on his life.

Playing for: Bridging MN

Bridging provides basic household goods for individuals and families exiting homelessness. We have so many people in our community that are homeless that put in a ton of effort to find employment and be able to afford an apartment/home but then can't afford to outfit their new home. Bridging collects everything from furniture, dishes, small appliances, and artwork and allows their customers to come into their warehouse and "shop" just like you would at a store and pick quality items to furnish their homes. My wife and I have been involved with Bridging for the past 10 years helping them with their fundraising Gala and volunteering with them. I've had the opportunity to interact not only with their staff, but also many of their clients and have gotten to see firsthand just how powerful their work is. Bridging allows people to not just have a place to live, but a place to truly call home.

Playing for: Friends: The National Association of Young People Who Stutter

Friends Who Stutter is an organization providing education and support for young people who stutter. They host workshops for kids and parents around self advocacy, navigating school and employment, and all of life's challenges in an effort to help build a world in which all young people who stutter feel empowered to communicate whenever, wherever, and however they want. My employer has worked closely with Friends Who Stutter over the years and we've seen first hand just how much of an impact they make on peoples' lives. Since my boss, who stutters, is the one who encouraged me to participate in Live To Give, I am choosing Friends Who Stutter as my charity to play for!

Playing for: Communities in School - Kalamazoo

I have worked in K-12 twice. In both instances, I worked at a local elementary school where most students come from low-income households. During my time spent with them, I became aware of the fact that many of them were not afforded the resources required to succeed in school, or in life for that matter. Some of them did not have new clothes that fit them, some needed dental care, others needed new glasses (I remember one of my students wore a pair of glasses where the lens was cracked and the bridge of their glasses was broken. They duct taped the two sides together and had them sit crooked on their face for the entire year). With that said, Communities In Schools is an organization that can and does provide students with those kinds of resources needed to succeed. I want to see kids in my community have their needs taken care of and succeed in school.

Playing for: International Institute of Minnesota

I’m fundraising for the International Institute of Minnesota because I know from people close to me just how life-changing their work is. IIMN has spent more than 100 years helping refugees and immigrants build new lives in Minnesota through services like refugee resettlement, English classes, job training, and immigration support.

This year I’ve watched my Minneapolis community be deeply affected by ICE activity, making IIMN’s work even more essential for helping New Americans know their rights and find safety, stability, and support. I want the Minnesota I love to be a place where newcomers can feel welcomed and thrive.

Playing for: Lord’s Gym Ministries

The Lord’s Gym does such important work for the Kingdom of God in our small community in West Price Hill of Cincinnati. Our Church partners with them to mobilize students to reach the physically lost (homeless, addicted, sick, etc) and share Jesus with them while at the same time meeting their physical needs and helping them recover and get off the streets. I also love how present they are in coming to the lost in the community rather than waiting for the lost to come to them. They take a bus around Cincinnati to pick up anybody in need and take them to a warm place to be fed, loved and cared for. The gym side of the Lord’s Gym is awesome too because they promote healthy living and even mobilize students to coach and lead sports teams for kids that don’t have special privileges

Playing for: Matthew’s Voice Project

Matthew’s Voice Project is a nonprofit organization supporting high school students who are experiencing homeless or housing instability in the Moorhead/Fargo area. They do amazing work focusing on at-risk youth in the community and provide support and everyday essentials so they can stay in school and graduate. MVP advocates for these students and helps to remove barriers, as well as providing basic everyday items such as blankets, toilet paper, a winter coat, and clothing. They can fill those needs immediately. Their volunteers are kind, selfless people who truly care about the community and population they serve. As a college student, I have seen the direct impact on our community. MVP provides ways for the Fargo/Moorhead community to come together to support these students in need. Watching the work Matthew’s Voice Project does has been truly beautiful and eye-opening for me.

Playing for: People Serving People

I chose People Serving People because the shelter is located in our community so I would love to be able to raise money for something local that supports my neighbors. I worked with people serving people on a toy drive this past Christmas, and everyone I interacted with was so kind and warm and inviting and I would love to continue to support them. Each staff member and person at the shelter I encountered seemed so happy to be there because the place has such a nice warm feeling to it and I want to support these staff that make it so amazing!

Playing for: Clutch

I live in Boise, which is filled with many like-minded people supporting a "love is love" belief system with resources for LGBTQ youth. However, get outside of Boise, even by a mere 10 miles, and the resources are scarce and the attitudes are very unwelcoming. Clutch is an affirming space in Nampa (about 15 minutes from Boise) that provides a welcoming space where LGBTQ+ youth can feel free to be themselves, find acceptance, and feel loved. It is a place where LGBTQ+ youth can get a meal, a listening ear, and some games/crafts. It is a community and it is funded entirely by donations.

I have been an ally my entire life, and my daughter is now part of the LGBTQ community. She was raised in Boise and never felt unwelcome here, but she just recently moved to a community about 5 hours away for college. It is small town (like Nampa). She has very few resources available there, and the people she has met are much less accepting. She feels lucky to have spent her youth in Boise, surrounded by like-minded people. For this reason, and so many others, I would be playing for Clutch. I want to support Clutchs' mission to support and inspire all youth in Idaho. It is important to me to play for a charity that is in my own backyard.

Playing for: Danny Boy Foundation

The Danny Boy Open raises awareness and funding for families affected by Cohen Syndrome and other rare genetic disorders by hosting an annual golf tournament and community-driven events that directly support research, advocacy, and family resources
I chose the Danny Boy Open because it represents the very best of what community and compassion can do when people come together for a meaningful cause. I am a close friend of the Caron family, and I’ve had the privilege of watching their strength, faith, and resilience as they care for their son Danny, who lives with Cohen Syndrome. Through this event, they’ve turned personal challenges into a mission that raises awareness, funds research, and provides hope for families affected by rare genetic disorders.

What makes this cause so important to me is that it’s not just about one family — it’s about inspiring others to show up, give back, and make kindness contagious. The Danny Boy Open brings people together to celebrate community, empathy, and the power of generosity — all values that Live to Give embodies. Supporting this cause reminds me that the greatest impact comes from helping those who face extraordinary challenges with extraordinary love.

Playing for: Bitty Kitty Brigade

Bitty Kitty Brigade is a powerhouse in neonatal kitten rescue, an organization that steps in when no one else can. They take on the tiniest, most fragile lives, the ones that require round‑the‑clock care, medical support, and a level of dedication most people don’t even realize is possible. Their impact is huge, and it’s fueled entirely by community support.

I’m here because I want to help them go even further. Live to Give isn’t just a competition to me, it’s an opportunity to bring real resources to an organization that saves lives every single day. Bitty Kitty Brigade fights for kittens who can’t fight for themselves, and I’m ready to fight for them. I’m competitive, I’m focused, and I’m here to win big for a cause that deserves it.

Playing for: The Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center

MIWRC provides resources and aid to Indigenous/American Indian women and their families. Their services primarily include domestic/sexual violence prevention/intervention, holistic health programs, housing initiatives, and community events. I chose this charity to honor my grandma Alma (Métis Ojibwe), who grew up in Redby, MN, on the Red Lake Reservation. She had a relatively more privileged family (a descendant of High Chieftains and wealthier fur traders), and she would be the first to tell you that her life wasn't all that bad. Nevertheless, she intimately knew the challenges and dangers impacting her community on the reservation. My grandma passed away in January of 2026 (she made it to age 105), and I want to honor her life by fundraising for MIWRC. Indigenous women everywhere disproportionately experience many forms of adversity; anything we can do to protect them and guide them through hardship goes a long way.

Playing for: Boys and Girls Club of Boston

I chose the Boys and Girls Club of Boston because of the work they do- working in a school I often see the positive impact this organization has on many of my students. Giving back to this organization will be extremely fulfilling! Excited to get out there!