Keating Wagner Joins Forces with ThunderRidge High School for Record-Breaking Grizzly Gives Week

Keating Wagner Polidori Free proudly announces its sponsorship of Douglas County’s ThunderRidge High School (TRHS) for Grizzly Gives Week for the 5^th time in 2024. Far surpassing their 2023 donations, the school raised over $67,000 for Caruso Family Charities this year. Great job, TRHS community, students, staff, and donors!

Why Keating Wagner Supports Grizzly Gives Week

At Keating Wagner, we believe in giving back to the communities we serve. We do this in many ways, but Grizzly Gives Week is our way of not only supporting the community but also supporting the charitable efforts of one of our own attorneys, Melissa Sullivan, and her family.

Melissa was previously a middle and high school math teacher. Currently, her husband, Thomas Sullivan, is a math and computer science teacher at TRHS. He is also the TRHS Student Government faculty sponsor. Student government is responsible for organizing Grizzly Gives Week each year. Melissa’s two sons, one a senior and one a freshman, attend the school and take part in TRHS Student Government.

About 2024 Grizzly Gives Week

Grizzly Gives Week involves many different community fundraising efforts, such as local restaurant nights, a movie night, chess tournament, dodgeball tournament, pickleball tournament, Sadie’s dance, school spirit and theme days, and Bingo night. They also sell t-shirts and wristbands. This year’s Grizzly Gives Week culminated with the annual assembly held on March 12^th.

Caruso Family Charities chose this year’s Grizzly Gives benefactor, the Moore Family. Denali Moore, a 14-year-old boy, has DiGeorge syndrome (an underdevelopment of several body systems). Sadly, their house recently burned down, and their family has been living in Denver area hotels since, as they try to recover. Their single mother, Jessica Moore, works to provide for her four children, including Denali.

Why Caruso Family Charities?

Caruso Family Charities is a Colorado 501(c)(3) organization providing financial assistance to families in our state with a child, adolescent, or young adult facing medical treatment for a life-threatening illness or life-altering event. By removing some financial burdens, Caruso Family Charities gives families more freedom to focus on caring for their sick or injured child. With over $6.9M in donations since 2006, Caruso Family Charities has helped 2,300 families in need.

Based out of Lakewood, Caruso Family Charities is unique in that it doesn’t require lengthy processing times for applicants to receive the financial assistance they desperately need. Funds awarded to families can be used to pay for basic necessities like rent, utilities, insurance payments, medical co-payments, or transportation. Caruso Family Charities also provides personalized support to see where families need help the most and then pays their bills directly. This lets family members focus on their sick or injured loved one instead of worrying about getting bills paid. If you’d like to partner with Caruso Family Charities, there are many ways to help.

Keating Wagner’s Five Years of Sponsoring Grizzly Gives Week

Celebrating its 5th year of sponsorship, Keating Wagner was also a Grizzly Gives Week sponsor in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2023 (TRHS didn’t take sponsorships in 2021 due to COVID-19).  To get involved or become a future sponsor, contact Thomas Sullivan or ThunderRidge High School at 303-387-2000.