Supporter Spotlight: Bob Dann

Each spring for the past ten years, Bob Dann gears up to host the Faces without Places (FwP) NCAA Fundraiser, in which hundreds of FwP supporters have chosen their favorite team to make it all the way through the bracket challenge.

Bob came up with the idea to help out his good friend, Debbie, co-founder of Faces without Places.  Bob explains, “We had bracket contests at work with a pretty big purse.  I figured that we could donate a large amount of the pot to FwP and still give out a nice prize.  So I got my workmates, friends and family involved.”

Bob has held the NCAA Fundraiser now for ten years because he loves doing it!  Couple this with fact that Bob could do something to help someone else at the same time, why not do it every year?

Basketball season brings back fond memories for Bob of watching the Bearcats in the tournament with his dad and sister when he was a kid, from the Oscar Robertson days, followed by the two NCAA championship teams.  It also brings back great memories—shoveling snow off the driveway with his friends so they could play basketball, and as an adult, watching his daughter play basketball in high school and college.

Bob is motivated to support FwP because he believes FwP is a great help to many kids who have no control over their place in life.  If they can be helped even a little bit, this may help them reach their way out of poverty through the kindness and guidance of the program in supporting education.

Bob explains his favorite FwP experience:

A few years ago, my wife and I were invited to a lunch at Washburn School with the kids. The kids ‘hosted’ us, showed us what they were doing in their summer program, and the older kids were ambassadors for the program.  I sat with a delightful 6th grade girl.  We had some great conversations about sports, music, and her family and friends in the course of our lunch.  I could see that the extra enrichment and coaching this young lady was getting through the program was doing well in preparing her for her future.

Bob is a great example that with a little creativity, almost any passion or skill can be used to support children experiencing homelessness.  Thanks for your dedication to children experiencing homelessness, Bob!—And to another ten years of NCAA Fundraisers!