Giving Back: Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation

The Organization:

Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation

The Cause:

From the Foundation’s web site, “The mission of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation is to support three main areas of need: homelessness, indigent healthcare and children’s programs of all types, including education and youth baseball field development. In addition, the Foundation has created strategic programs that address the needs of our community including veterans, police, teachers, and firefighters — just to name a few.”

But in particular, the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation has jumped into the fight against cancer. Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall is a prostate cancer survivor, and his wife is currently fighting breast cancer, so it’s a cause close to the hearts of many in the organization — and sparked the creation of the Race Against Cancer.

“To have something solely focused on cancer was really special to me,” Hall said. “The first year was a big success, and now we’re starting to see — as with so many walk and races around cancer — we’re seeing more and more teams and corporations and individuals rally around it.”

The Story:

“The Foundation originated with a focus on homelessness, indigent care and children,” Hall said. “And those are still areas of focus, but there’s not too many other areas we deny or turn down these days. We find ourselves working in a lot of worthy causes, whether it’s helping and contributing through our youth jersey program, or building fields, or our Ken Kendrick Grand Slam Awards…we’re on a nice pace of about $5 million per year in giving. This is a big year for us — we’re surpassing a total of $50 million in total giving in our history. We’re able to do this because of the stage we play on, and create nice ways to partner with corporations and fans and people in the community with a similar mission.”

The Event:

The Race Against Cancer will take place on April 9, starting with a 5K at 7:15 p.m. beginning at Chase Field and winding through downtown. The Banana Boat 1-mile Family Fun Walk will start at 8:30 a.m. at Chase Field. All funds will go to the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation. Participants will be able to take a victory lap around Chase Field’s outfield wall prior to the Diamondbacks game against the Cleveland Indians starting at 1:10 p.m. Registration is $50 for the 5K and $30 for the 1-mile walk for adults, and the walk is only $5 for children.

The Quote:

“It’s been incredible,” Hall said. “We now have a 5K and a one-mile family walk, and the route through downtown is tremendous, beginning and ending at Chase Field. It’s a huge stage and it really feels like a sporting event. This will be Year #5 and the beneficiaries are cancer organizations as well as the University of Arizona Cancer Center and Dignity Health.

“Last year we had about 2,800 people, and this year we’re expecting more than 3,000,” he said. “The atmosphere is unreal, with people’s faces and team names on t-shirts and people high-fiving each other. There’s a great deal of emotion and gratitude — everyone there has been touched by cancer in some way, or knows someone battling it or who has survived it.”

“It does provide a voice for people who have suffered because of cancer,” he said. “So many people are no longer with us today because of the various types of cancer, so when we can — in their honor — drive awareness and help to find cures, we’ll do all we can do to spread the word.”

For more information:

Visit dbacks.com/race to register.

The Pro-State Foundation

After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Hall started his own foundation called The Pro-State Foundation — designed to put those with prostate cancer “in a pro state of mind.”

“I found that I was fortunate to have people to talk to who had been through it themselves, but had I not had those people I don’t know where I would have turned,” Hall said. “I wanted to create a platform where people could have their questions answered, hear my story, drive awareness and education and hopefully help with research funding. It’s been a success so far…although there’s a large fraternity of people who go through this disease, people are scared or don’t know where to go.

“Last year, for the first time, we started a huge awareness effort on Father’s Day around minor league baseball,” he said. “We had information and giveaways and pamphlets — it’s overwhelming in that one in six men will have this disease. The more I can do to drive awareness about it, the better.”

Visit www.pro-state.org for more information.