AlanPage
Page Education Foundation
P.O. Box 581254, Minneapolis, MN 55458-1254
(612) 332-0406
www.page-ed.org
info@page-ed.org
require those who we give financial grants
to—we call them Page Scholars—to go back
into the community to work with young
children … specifically in the area of educa-
tion.” Over 23 years, the foundation has
given out more than 4,000 grants, resulting
in close to 300,000 hours of mentoring
($807,000 went out to 560 scholars in 2009–
2010). “[This is] to send those young chil-
dren a strong, clear message that education
is a tool that they can use to achieve what-
ever their hopes and dreams are. “It’s built on the notion that we put ath- letes and others on the pedestal and set hem out as role models, but the reality is that we are influenced by those we can reach out and touch, and not many of us have the ability to reach out and touch a professional athlete. But over the last 23 years, we’ve had more than 4,000 Page Scholars who could reach out and touch any number of young children.” C
IN A STORIED FOOTBALL career, Alan Page racked up accomplishments that many athletes can only dream of. As a defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears he was feared and revered. During the off-season, Page studied law and in 1992 was elected the first African- American associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court. Page was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. “When I found out that I was going to be inducted, I sat down with my wife and some friends, and talked about how we might make that recognition more meaningful,” Page recalls by phone from his office in St. Paul. In his speech, Page said, “It’s certainly OK to enjoy the glory and the fruits of bygone fforts. But I think all the men you see here reached the Hall of Fame because they couldn’t be satisfied with their past perfor- mances. So as I try to give meaning to this event for myself, I want to focus on what I can do here and now.” What Page did, along with his wife, Diane, was start the Page Education Foundation in 1988. “My parents knew and understood the value and importance of education and they instilled that in me,” he says. “And for young people who don’t value education as much as they could or as they should, it seems to me that trying to change that focus benefits them a great deal but also benefits all of us in soci- ety a great deal.” Page explains his foundation this way: “We encourage, motivate and assist young men and women of color in the pursuit of education beyond high school. We do that in two ways: one, by providing financial assistance [this consists of $1,000-to-$2,500 grants]; but two, and more important, we
Cristie Kerr talks to participants at her 2009
Birdies for Breast Cancer Charity Golf Classic at
Liberty National in Jersey City, New Jersey.
CristieKerr
HUN TER MAR TIN
Birdies for Breast Cancer
8367 SW 137th Ave., Miami, FL 33183
www.cristiekerrgolf.com/
birdies-for-breast-cancer
IN HER ROLE as a professional golfer,
sinking birdies has helped Cristie Kerr
achieve more than $12 million in earnings
since 2004. But those birdies have also led to
a more personal goal.
“The main cause that I’m involved with is
raising money for breast cancer research,”
says Kerr. “My mother was diagnosed with
breast cancer; her sister also had it five years
prior; my godmother’s had it. It’s the official
charity of the LPGA [Ladies Professional Golf
Association] Tour, with Susan G. Komen, so it
was a natural thing for me to want to raise
money for breast cancer.
“We started with a small program where
I donated $50 for every birdie I make—
and it eventually turned into my sponsors
matching me and us holding an annual
event that raises hundreds of thousands of
dollars. To date we’ve raised over $1.4
million, and we’ve recently broken
ground on the Cristie Kerr
GETTY IMAGES
Women’s Health
Center at Liberty
Health’s Jersey
City Medical
MAY 2011 ;e Costco Connection 31
Center in Jersey City,
New Jersey.”
In addition to golf, Kerr is a vintner,
and her fundraising efforts include her
wines. She says, “We make several hundred
cases of Cabernet and Chardonnay, where it’s
an amazing wine, but 100 percent of our
profits go to breast cancer.” C
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