The Sundt Foundation Mike Gaines Charity Fundraising Events

One of the Sundt Foundation's most important activities is to support the fundraising activities that honor Mike Gaines and raise money for ALS research.

Mike Gaines was a member of the Sundt family for almost 20 years. He worked on projects in the U.S. and around the world. His last foreign assignment was in 1997 as a Senior Project Manager on the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

While in Moscow, Mike started experiencing the first symptoms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

He was diagnosed in 1999, and shortly thereafter was forced into retirement. Mike knew there was nothing that could be done for him, but he wanted to be able to help others in the future. It was his idea to have a golf tournament to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association's research efforts to find a cure for ALS.

The first golf tournament was held in Tucson in May 2001, and Mike was still well enough to attend. After his death the following year, the Tucson tournament became an annual event, and tournaments were added in Phoenix and San Diego. Now there's also a Fun Skeet Shoot (another of Mike's favorite pastimes) in Tucson every fall. To date these events have raised a total of $611,700* for ALS research.

* Of this amount, $93,290 represents money given by the Sundt Foundation to the Muscular Dystrophy Association to be used for ALS research. The balance of the funds raised for ALS research through the Mike Gaines Fundraising Events was contributed by participants in the events and was given directly to MDA.

Upcoming Events

2010

• Golf Tournament, San Diego, CA
• Golf Tournament , Phoenix, AZ
• Golf Tournament , Tucson, AZ

Past Events

2009

• Fun Skeet Shoot, Tucson, AZ
• Golf Tournament, San Diego, CA
• Golf Tournament, Phoenix, AZ
• Golf Tournament, Tucson, AZ