Tanner’s Team Foundation Awards 100th Grant To Local Families

SAUK RAPIDS - A Sauk Rapids-based non profit just recently helped their 100th family in central Minnesota. "Tanner's Team Foundation" is named in honor of Tanner Fuls, who died from cancer in November of 2010. His parents, John and Cindy Fuls, started the foundation the following year in 2011.

John Fuls says it's a great feeling to be able to help so many families in just five years.

So we've been able to help 100 families now, and actually we just helped our 101st family too, so we're over the 100 grant mark and we're moving forward. We thank the people of central Minnesota for their support and helping us get there.

Fuls says they've given out over $75,000 in grant money to those families. Tanner's Team Foundation has a goal of awarding 26 grants - up to $1,000 each - this year. The grants help families with things like mortgage payments, utility bills, and gas cards for going to doctor's appointments.

Fuls says fundraisers help them raise money for the grants. The big spaghetti dinner is coming up on Sunday, April 3rd from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m.

We usually run it in conjunction with Tanner's birthday, which is at the end of March. This year he'd be celebrating his 17th birthday. So we're doing the spaghetti dinner again out at Rollie's. There's also a silent auction and some live music.

Fuls says they're hoping to raise between $5,000 and $10,000 that day.

Also new this year is the "Tanner's Team Club" made-up of 9th through 12th graders at Sauk Rapids-Rice high school.

"Tanner's Team Foundation" has been helping families in 18 Central Minnesota counties who have a child with a life threatening illness. Earlier this year the board of directors voted to grow it's coverage area to 38 counties.