For Bruce and Christine Arians, Helping Kids From Broken Homes Is Close to Their Hearts

Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians and his wife Christine toast attendees during last year’s fundraiser at Steak 44.

By Mike Saucier

The kids helped by Christine Arians still keep in touch with her, years later.

There’s 22-year-old April, who Christine Arians helped through the court system at age 9. She now lives on her own, holding down a job and going to school.  And there’s Nicholas from the Arians’ days in Indianapolis, who still keeps in touch.

The enduring connections are “all because of Chris,” said Bruce Arians, head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, referring to his wife’s dedication to children she helps through her and Bruce’s dedication to Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA. CASA helps children who are involved in the court system as a result of abuse or neglect by their families.

Arians said his wife is a “broken-family” attorney. Her work in the family-law area was the basis of the creation of The Arians Family Foundation in 2013 by both of them.

Kids in broken families “are always hurt in those situations,” Arians said.

“As I moved around the country she took five bar exams and said, ‘That’s enough’ and she founded Voices for Children in Indianapolis. When they moved to Cleveland she began volunteering a CASA.

“I watched her save these kids one at a time for all these years and she’s still very close to them,” Arians said.

Now, in Phoenix, Bruce and Christine help Voices for CASA of Maricopa County. The coach and his wife are hosting an event at Steak 44 on May 22 – the 3rd Annual Arians Family Foundation Fundraiser – that will benefit the foundation and Voices for CASA. An Inaugural Topgolf Family Challenge will take place the day before.

Arians, who has coached the Cardinals since 2013, has done his share of moving around the country as he’s climbed the ladder in the college and NFL ranks. He said every city has people who are generous with their time and are willing to help. But the Valley, he said, is one of the best places in terms of people helping.

He said: “We have so many great people here that have had opportunity to help other people who are in situations – that aren’t their fault – and helped them. And that’s why we started this foundation. We wanted to help raise much more awareness and money for the CASA.”

CASA needs more volunteers though, he acknowledged.

“We started a campaign to help get out more volunteers,” Arians said. “I don’t think people know they can do it as a family, or can partner up and do it and it’s not that much of your time. It impacts these children so much. I think you get more out of it than the kids do. They become one of yours because you’ll always be there for them.”

What motivated he and Christine to keep helping CASA are the results.

“It was just the value of what she was doing, seeing the value of helping the kids,” Arians said, who coached the Indianapolis Colts before coming to the Valley.

Arians, who began his coaching career in 1975 as a graduate assistant at Virginia Tech, said he might focus on CASA when he retires.

“When children are abused, I lose it,” he said. “I’m old school, I’d fix it a different way … get the abuser. But you can’t do that. You’ve got to do it the right way. And Voices for Children and CASA – that’s the right way.”

Arians said the players on his team are becoming more and more involved in the community.

“I’ve been on some teams with some really good foundation guys but this group that we have is amazing,” he said. “And Larry [Fitzgerald] sets the bar – NFL Man of the Year. Patrick [Peterson] is following that lead. Calais is fantastic. And our young guys are getting into it more and more.”

Each player has to have a reason to want to help, Arians said, and they are always motivated by causes that touch them. “You won’t get involved like you need to unless it touches you,” he said.

 

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About Mike Saucier

Mike Saucier is the Editor of Frontdoors Media. He can be reached at editor@frontdoorsmedia.com.
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