Branch out from a solid root,
and the fruit will follow.

A lifetime of rallying people around causes

In 2000, when I was in 6th grade, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a neighbor introduced us to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, we immediately joined and I stayed for 19 years as one of their top fundraisers.

In 2019 we started Sauers Cares — and I say “we” because nothing we did was ever done alone. With the support of friends, family, coworkers, donors, and volunteers who showed up again and again, we ran car shows, 5Ks, golf tournaments, and bingo events. Each one raised money for a different organization and a very specific project such as a kitchen overhaul for a cancer organization providing meals, a sensory playground for a local school, a wrapped box truck delivering birthday gifts to kids who wouldn’t otherwise have them and a full office buildout for a local organization forced to relocate, just to name a few.

Sauers Cares eventually became Drive and Thrive, built on the belief that reliable transportation can change everything for someone. Together we held car clinics, covered urgent repairs, and helped people get to work, get to appointments, and navigate difficult seasons with stability and dignity.

In 2026, after much thought and evaluation, the decision was made to dissolve the organization. At its core it came down to capacity — the time, energy, and funding needed to sustain monetary-based programming long term. It was not a decision made lightly, but it was the right one for this season.

My commitment to this community is not going anywhere. What I am building at Root & Branch is a way to keep doing what I love in a way that is sustainable — helping people give back, rallying organizations around causes that are already making an impact, and setting it up so others can show up.