MARCH 2017 30 | FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM {news, updates and events} HEAR HERE Larry Fitzgerald Jr. was recently named the “Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year” for his work with the Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund, which made contributions to organizations from Phoenix Children’s Hospital to the Starkey Hearing Foundation, helping fit hearing aids for those in need throughout Africa. Generosity runs in the family and it’s something that Larry Jr. learned at home. His mother, Carol Fitzgerald, counseled HIV-positive patients at the dawn of the AIDS epidemic. When she died from cancer in 2003, his father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr. established a fund in her name to honor her and support the causes she held dearly. His father, Larry Fitzgerald Sr., a fixture in the Minneapolis-St. Paul sports media world for decades, explained how his son’s upbringing shaped his approach to the world. Larry Jr. and his brother Marcus would be exposed to a range of athletes and the world of sports “but yet on the other side they were grounded in getting this life lesson that people make mistakes in their health that get them in trouble,” Larry Sr. said. “And so in doing that you have to find a way to deal with it with a kind of humility and a confidence and a faith that you can get through it. I think those were points they learned clearly from being around us, being around their mother. We’re a church-based family. We believe and follow the lead of God.” The best stories we saw this month about those who give generously and work for a better future. HOW LaRRY LEaRNeD GeNeROSITY READ MORE ONLINE

MARCH 2017 FRONTDOORSMEDIA .COM | 31 Geena Davis, the Academy Award winner best known for her roles in “Thelma and Louise” and “A League of Their Own” will speak at a luncheon presented by the Women’s Leadership Council of the Valley of the Sun United Way. The April 28 event at the Phoenician Resort will raise funds for the Valley of the Sun United Way’s Breakfast in the Classroom program. Honorary Chairwoman of the event will be Angela Ducey, Arizona’s First Lady. Davis is also well known for her long-time advocacy on behalf of women. All proceeds from this luncheon directly benefit the Valley of the Sun United Way Breakfast in the Classroom program. GeeNa HeaDeD TO THe VaLLeY READ MORE ONLINE {news, updates and events} HEAR HERE The best stories we saw this month about those who give generously and work for a better future.