Dan Lanning Delivers Powerful Message For Children's Cancer

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has delivered plenty of memorable speeches about football, winning and the standard inside his program. Some of those moments have garnered national attention for his motivational themes leading up to a game with inside locker room and practice moments.

However, at the inaugural Sam Day Classic at Eugene Country Club, Lanning’s message went far beyond the game.

Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greets fans before the game against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The event, hosted by Dan and and his wife Sauphia Lanning on May 6, 2026, benefited the Sam Day Foundation and its mission to raise critical funds for children’s cancer research. The foundation said all proceeds from the golf event will support that work, with a focus on helping young people with cancer receive better, more helpful treatments

Dan Lanning Delivers Powerful Message

For the Lanning family, the cause is deeply personal. Sauphia Lanning is a survivor of a rare form of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma. That personal connection came through in Lanning’s emotional message at the event.

“Raise your hand if you believe there's no kid in the world that should ever pass away,” Lanning said via the video on social media. “I know this. There's no better feeling in the world than giving. And when you're on the end of knowing that cancer affects people you love and how much it means to you, you're sitting here saying, what can I do to help? How can I help?”

Lanning then challenged the room to think bigger than one event, framing the Sam Day Classic as the start of something that can grow into a lasting legacy.

The Sam Day Foundation was created in honor of Sam Day, who was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma at age 9 and died in August 2016 after battling the disease for six years. The foundation says it has committed more than $2.7 million to research since launching in 2018.

“And I think the best legacy we can leave for someone like Sam, somebody like Ty, is for us to take this thing to the next level,” Lanning said. “Give to this and you will change lives forever.”

The Lanning family has supported man cancer-focused nonprofits like Nike co-founder Phil Knights' OHSU Foundation-Knight Cancer Institute.

Phil Knight on the Nike Campus in Beaverton with a room sized image of Bill Bowerman in 2018. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He ended his speech by tying it back to something he tells the Oregon football team: The dash between the year born and died on a tombstone is the most impactful.

"I promise you it's not going to be on your tombstone how many games you won,” Lanning said. “It's not going to be how many seats were sold in Autzen. But people are going to remember that dash in between. I talk to our players all the time about that dash. And I'm a true believer that there is no dash that should only have six years on it or nine years on it or 15 years on it. We should have some long dashes out there. And those dashes should be impactful.”

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the No. 9 Oregon Ducks host Washington State Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The speech offers a great look into Lanning's frowing legacy in Oregon and beyond. His leadership style has often centered on relationships, purpose and the impact people make beyond wins and losses.

Last May, Lanning became the first ever Oregon coach to win win the Stallings Award - which recognizes outstanding leadership, character and achievement in college football. Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus attended the event as Lanning beamed with pride and gratitude as he received the prestigious award for humanitarianism at the Dallas Country Club.

The Stallings award is unique in it's the only coach-selected honor in a recognition of peers. It's clear that Lanning's impact is known throughout the county and the football world.

Oregon football coach Dan Lanning introduces the song “Shout” during the Ducks' game against Oregon State at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene April 22, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dan Lanning Raising Funds Via Cameo Videos

Lanning also supported the Sam Day Foundation by launching an account on Cameo, a platform where celebrities of all types of backgrounds can provide short, personalized messages to their fans at a set price.

In the description of Lanning's Cameo account, it states that all funds acquired from the venture will go to the Sam Day Foundation with a funding goal of $50,000. Currently his goal is more than 50 percent achieved and fans can buy a video from Lanning at the price of $150 for a great cause.

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