Giving back

Ataxia refers to the loss of coordination during voluntary movement. Those affected by ataxia may have trouble in normal functions including moving their limbs, walking or speaking. In 2017, senior partner, Jim Quandt, became involved as a board member and fundraiser for the Bob Allison Ataxia Research Center after his client’s father died from complications with the disease.

The foundation has come alongside the work of Jim and other advisors, contributing over $1.5 million total to helping find a cure for ataxia⁸ and is the second largest donor to the Minnesota Twins Diamond Awards for ataxia.⁷

In 2004, the foundation established the nonprofit organization Bikes for Kids. Each December, Bikes for Kids hosts a holiday party, and at the end of the night, the children are surprised with a brand-new bicycle and helmet to take home.

To date, Bikes for Kids has provided over 5,000 bikes, and the foundation has contributed over $465,000 to Bikes for Kids.⁸ The holiday party is also one of North Star’s biggest volunteer events of the year, and North Star employees have used over 10,000 hours of paid volunteer time off to help at the event each year.

An estimated 5.5 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. today.⁶ There is no known cure; however, several North Star associates are committed to changing that.

After witnessing his mother, father and both grandmothers suffer from the disease, Shaun McDuffee, senior vice president, founded Stop Alzheimer’s Now (SAN). His mission is to walk across all 50 states to raise awareness and funds for a cure.

Brett Vander Bloemen, senior partner, hosts the Liz Vander Bloemen Charitable Golf Event each year in honor of his mother who passed away of Alzheimer’s in 2014.

The foundation has contributed over $390,000 to these two charities, as well as creating two endowed chairs for Alzheimer’s Research at Temple University to integrate research, training, clinical and educational activities in the study of Alzheimer’s disease.

As the most common cancer among women in the United States, one in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer within their lifetime.³  While there are 3.5 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., research centers are still searching for a cure for the disease.² North Star has contributed over $200,000 to the cause.⁸

Over 30,000 people in the U.S. suffer from cystic fibrosis, a degenerative disease that affects patients’ abilities to breathe and causes frequent lung infections.⁴ Since 2004, foundation has contributed over $181,000 to cystic fibrosis research and care.⁸

Myelofibrosis is the rare bone marrow cancer that Scott Richards, North Star’s late vice president, battled. With myelofibrosis, the patient’s bone marrow cells producing the body’s blood cells develop and function abnormally.⁵ The disease affects both men and women and can occur at any age but is most commonly found in those over 60 years of age.⁵

Since 2004, the foundation has contributed over $150,000 to the M.D. Anderson Center for Myelofibrosis.⁸