Mary Bednarz
On May 20th, 2011, Family Reach Foundation was fortunate enough to be the designated charity (for the fourth year) of an incredible fundraiser in San Diego, CA – known as the Flavors of the Gaslamp – that has raised more than $80,000 for families in need. At the center of this amazing event is Mary B, a dedicated Family Reach friend.
Mary has spent more than 21 years working at the intersection of fundraising and sports. Her work doing PR & community relations for the Minnesota Vikings led her to a position as Executive Director of the Junior Seau Foundation, one of the largest player foundations in the industry. Ten years ago, Mary started her own consulting firm, GameDay Consulting, to help athletes with their off-the-field efforts to raise money for charitable causes. As part of her consulting work, she also currently helps to manage the Pro Player Foundation, a group of professional athletes dedicated to helping disadvantaged children.
In speaking with the athletes with whom she works on a range of charitable endeavors, Mary found that many had friends or family members who had passed away or were suffering from cancer. She quickly realized that cancer is a disease that touches everyone in some way, and wanted to find a way to make a difference. Mary connected with a friend of hers, Mike Chacon, a long-time hospitality expert in San Diego’s famous Gaslamp. Both knew that food and football were a winning combination, and set to work planning the Flavors of the Gaslamp – bringing together restaurants from San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter for an evening of tastings, meet-and-greets with top NFL players, and amazing silent auction and raffle prizes that included everything from sports memorabilia to dining packages. For their beneficiary, Mary and Mike were referred to Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, and their partner, the Family Reach Foundation.
Since its inaugural event, Flavors of the Gaslamp has been a resounding success, attracting more than 500 guests each year. And Mary is determined to continue to make the event bigger and better each year. The most recent Flavors of the Gaslamp was held at the House of Blues, with two incredible bands who donated 100% of their time for the evening. The event was hosted by current and former NFL stars who have been touched by cancer: Eric Allen (six-time Pro Bowler and ESPN Analyst) and his wife, Lynn; Lorenzo Neal (four-time Pro Bowler and lead blocker for 1000 yard rushers for eleven straight seasons) and his wife, Denisha; Earl Campbell (Hall of Famer and Heisman winner); and Legedu Naanee (uniquely versatile Chargers wide receiver). Pop Chips donated goody bags for every attendee, and auction and raffle prizes ranged from a Sony big screen TV, to trips to Spain and Cancun, to a unique StreetStrider mobile elliptical machine.
Other players who have participated through the years include Mike Goff (who did a live cooking demo at one event), Darren Bennett (president of the Pro Player Foundation), Quentin Jammer, Jacques Cesaire, the San Diego State Basketeball team and many others.
Says Mary of Family Reach: “Family Reach Foundation is such a sincere organization – they do an amazing job, and it’s truly from the heart. The staff at Rady is just as wonderful. Their cause is so great, and the need they address is not yet filled. We’re honored to be able to do what we can to help out.”
