Season 7
Meet the cast of Season 7:
Fun fact: Adam has never lost a staring contest
Playing for Lungstrong: "I am playing for LUNGSTRONG in memory of my mom who passed away from stage 4 lung cancer. Lung cancer is a hugely misunderstood and underfunded disease and I don't want any other families to have to go through what mine did."
To learn more about LUNGSTRONG: https://www.lungstrong.org/
Fun fact: Allie likes to travel and go to music festivals and raves!
Playing for Donate Life Minnesota: "My mom is an organ recipient and my boyfriend who passed was an organ donor. I’m excited to make a difference just like they do! I’m competitive and love to be of service to others! Such a great opportunity!”
To learn more about the Donate Life Minnesota: https://www.donatelifemidwest.org/mn/
Fun fact: Angus was a D1 track decathlete
Playing for American Heart Association: ”Live to Give is for a good cause and can impact many people. I want to play for my younger sister. I have a lot of memories as a kid going in and out of hospitals for years for her. Actually growing up and realizing the gravity of the situation was more or less terrifying.”
To learn more about American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org
Fun fact:
Annmarie is a grandmother of 5!
Playing for the Women’s Foundation of MN : "I think giving is essential for all of us now in this day and age I also feel that I’ve been given a lot throughout my life so giving back is what it’s about.”
To learn more about the Women's Foundation of Minnesota: https://www.wfmn.org/
Fun fact: Ben and his sister have the same birthday, but they're three years apart
Playing for Wishes & More: "I'm playing for Wishes and More because they support children and families affected by a life threatening condition. My niece was recently diagnosed with INAD. This is a genetic disease that not much is known about. I want to support my sister and brother-in-law and families like them who get this devastating diagnosis but not much help, hope or guidance. Funding Wishes and More is a step toward helping families find comfort and hope."
To learn more about Wishes and More: https://wishesandmore.org/
Fun fact: Brian currently has several medical device patents
Playing for Inadcure Foundation: “My family and I have been crushed by my daughter's terminal diagnosis of INAD, and the INAD Cure Foundation is raising money for gene therapy development that can someday cure this devastating disorder.”
To learn more about the INAD Foundation: https://www.inadcure.org
Fun fact: Da’Vontae has climbed Vesuvius, the volcanic mountain that destroyed Pompeii
Playing for NAACP: “I chose to play for the NAACP because they are a black charitable organization that helps minorities across urban communities achieve their dreams in education and in life through scholarships, mentorship, and continuous support. The ceaseless work they have done since 1909 for BIPOC individuals, including myself, is remarkable and truly makes an impact on the communities and all individuals involved.”
To learn more about the NAACP: https://naacp.org
Fun fact: Grace is a 2-time All Around Gymnastics champion!
Playing for Heroes for Hope: "I chose to play for Heroes for Hope, because it honors my brother, Gavin, a brain cancer survivor. When I was 7, my brother was taken to the ER at Children’s Hospital. That night he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and our lives changed. For years I watched him go through surgeries and hospital stays. My family wants to help other families because we know what it’s like to go through this. The Heroes for Hope endowment will give options to patients when they run out of standard treatment options."
To learn more about Heroes for Hope: https://www.childrensmn.org/events/heroes-for-hope
Fun fact:
Jake has run 24 half marathons, 1 full marathon, and 2 ragnar relays
Playing for OutFront Minnesota: “I’m playing for OutFront Minnesota because I know what it can be like to have the weight of the world on you as a queer person. OutFront advocates for the LGBTQIA+ and helps bring legal protection, rights and advice towards the community to have an equal life and be free to be who we are in our state. This advice would stem from emancipation, trans brutality, workplace discrimination, and more. I firmly believe in equality no matter who you are and what you believe in.”
To learn more about OutFront Minnesota: https://www.outfront.org
Fun fact: Jake used to work for Carnival Cruise Lines and went by Jackpot Jake when he was a Bingo host on board
Playing for Literacy Minnesota: "I am playing for my charity because everyone should have access to literacy education. In the US there are more than 3 million adults who are at or below 3rd grade reading level. Imagine how difficult it would be as an adult to navigate life, work, parenting, etc. without functional literacy. Literacy MN works to share the power of learning through education, community building, and advocacy. I am so excited to play for them!"
To learn more about Literacy MN: https://www.literacymn.org/
Fun fact: Jamie used to play 4 different sports and loves all things outdoors including hunting and fishing
Playing for Angel Foundation: "I love a challenge and Live to Give is for a good cause so you win no matter what. I have had many family members battle cancer, including my mom. Some won their battle and others did not. This charity really helps anyone fighting this battle.”
To learn more about the Angel Foundation: https://mnangel.org
Fun fact: Kailey loves to eat sour candy everyday
Playing for Give Kids the World Village: "I am playing for Give Kids the World because I have had the pleasure of visiting the Give Kids the World Village twice now and it is absolutely incredible what they do. I love the positive the impact they make on families."
To learn more about Give Kids the World Village: https://www.gktw.org/
Fun fact: Katelyn is a semi-pro baker even though she has a non-existent sweet tooth
Playing for The Link: "Choosing The Link as my charity was a NO BRAINER as they are a non-profit that not only walks the walk, but talks the talk. The Link is youth and adult led and does incredible work with youth experiencing homelessness, poverty, victims of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking, and youth involved in the juvenile justice system in Minneapolis and provides them with housing and programming. They employ the youth they work with to serve on committees that guide the organization and oversee any programmatic changes to make sure that it best serves the youth in our community. They are an organization that is committed to diversity and inclusion and also trying to address the root cause of homelessness. The Link is run ethically and with great thought and care. I've never seen such passion by those who work there."
To learn more about The Link: https://thelinkmn.org
Fun fact: Laine wants to own a cotton candy art business
Playing for Wake the Nation: "I am firstly playing in honor of my brother who in 2016 died of a heroin overdose, since then the numbers of heroin overdoses are rapidly on the rise. I play to help stop the stigma to show people addicts aren’t all bad people but people that are hurting. I also want to help bring awareness to the currently drug epidemic."
To learn more about Wake The Nation: https://wakethenation.us
Fun fact: Elephants are La’Mika’s favorite animal!
Playing for the Children’s Heart Foundation: "I'm playing for my little sister, she has stage 4 heart failure. She will need a heart transplant and she inspires me to fight hard and stay positive every day I have left.
To learn more about The Children’s Heart Foundation: https://www.childrensheartfoundation.org
Fun fact: Layna can make a mean charcuterie board and has even taught several classes teaching others
Playing for Second Harvest Heartland: "More than 338,000 Minnesotans faced food insecurity in 2020, including 1 in 11 children. Second Harvest Heartland has built innovative and lasting systems to combat those numbers, distributing over 107 million meals last year. Today, 1 in 12 people in Minnesota face food insecurity. So many around us don't know where their next meal is coming from, and I want to change that. Second Harvest not only provides immediate solutions to hunger in our area, but has also built a breadth of long-term programs to create lasting systemic food systems solutions. And for many of the employees, there are no days off. The staff is committed to ensuring plates are full on holidays, weekends, and so much more. They're good people, serving good people."
To learn more about Second Harvest Heartland: https://www.2harvest.org
Fun fact: Logan is just finishing a theatre contract where he completed 3 different roles in the span of 6 days
Playing for Lewy Body Dementia Association: "I am playing for Lew Body Dementia Association because losing a loved one to Lewy Body Dementia, which affects people mentally like dementia and physically like Parkinson’s, is truly spirit breaking, with a million little goodbyes along the way. My grandmother passed away a year ago after suffering with LBD. Without Robin Williams having had passed from LBD, many would even know it’s name, so I’m playing not only to raise money for an organization that provides support and research, but also simply to raise awareness."
To learn more about LBDA: https://www.lbda.org/
Fun fact: Megan was a collegiate log roller, and was given the nickname The Queen of Log Rolling
Playing for Be the Match: "I am playing for my charity, Be the Match, to honor my friend Matt and who passed January of 2022 from cancer he did not know he had. I want to raise awareness for people who are in need of bone marrow transplants, and to educate people about living a healthy life and listening to your body and what it needs. I want to prevent others to have to experience loss similar to what I have."
To learn more about Be The Match: https://bethematch.org/
Fun fact: Michael is an animal lover, and has three cats of his own; Lila, Sasha, and Meghan
Playing for Crescent Cove: "Crescent Cove offers a necessary, and under provided, service to families going through the unthinkable. They really make a difference in providing comfort and support for children with terminal illnesses and their families. There is a huge gap in the need for children's hospice care services and providers. Crescent Cove is the only children's hospice home in Minnesota and one of only three in the United States."
To learn more about Crescent Cove: https://crescentcove.org/
Fun fact: Mitch took four years of Dutch in college!
Playing for Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer Disease Research Center: "I am playing for the Alzheimer Disease Research Center at Mayo Clinic. Having watched my great-grandfather battle this disease and now my grandmother, any progress we can make towards finding a cure or providing better palliative care is a win in my book. I spent a lot of time with my great grandparents growing up learning to fish and listening to their life stories (especially about their time during the Great Depression and WW2). You can imagine how hard it was to watch my great grandfather eventually spiral into Alzheimer's disease and my great grandmother struggle to keep up with him. Now that they've both passed, my grandmother is now beginning to show the same signs and battling Alzheimer's disease. It's a terrible illness that leaves nothing and takes everything. Helping Mayo Clinic find a cure, or at least new and innovative ways to care for those who are suffering with it, would mean a lot to my family."
To learn more about Mayo Clinic's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center: https://www.mayo.edu/.../alzheimers-disease.../about
Fun fact: Nikki lived in Australia for 3 years
Playing for Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: "I started fostering cats in 2022 and it got me interested in the foster system. It opened my eyes to ways I could help even if I do not become a foster parent myself. More than 113,000 children are waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States. Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption helps children waiting in foster care find homes. Through their Wendy's Wonderful Kids program they use a child centric focus to find a family that fits the child rather than looking for a child to fit a family. Caseworkers are busy and this foundation provides extra resources/ recruiters to bridge the gap between foster care and adoption."
To learn more about Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption: https://www.davethomasfoundation.org
Fun fact: Sam is an amazing juggler
Playing for Light of Life Foundation: “I am playing for the Light of Life foundation, which supports, educates, and brings awareness to thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer can affect anyone at any age and if caught early is very curable; I myself was diagnosed at 29 years old. During my research I found that it is very common in young women. I want to promote knowledge of thyroid cancer and remind women to check their neck frequently.”
To learn more about Light of Life Foundation: https://lightoflifefoundation.org
Fun fact: Steve has backpacked over 200 miles of the Superior Trail in MN
Playing for HopeKids: "I am playing for Hope Kids because their organization was invaluable to my family during my son's treatment. My son was told, at age 6, that he had months to live and there was "nothing else we can do." Hope kids provides experiences for families with a child either in care or who have passed. The events we attended through them gave us memories we wouldn’t otherwise have been able to create."
To learn more about HopeKids: https://www.hopekids.org/
Fun fact:
Tiffany is a mother of 6! 5 are human and the other is an African Grey Parrot named Zeerah
Playing for the Autism Society of MN: ”To raise money for autism awareness but also to empower those that are BLESSED with autism. My son is autistic and he thinks it's cool to be different! I truly believe he is blessed with a special gift! Facts!!! I also really want to push myself way out of my comfort zone for personal growth.”
To learn more about the Autism Society of Minnesota: https://ausm.org/
