Ben and Shania Grubbs Family Foundation Commit To 3-Year, $150K Partnership With 'Son Of A Saint'
Ben Grubbs and his wife Shania grew up fatherless in their homes. The couple desired to support local organizations around New Orleans, Googled non-profits, and came across Son of a Saint. It was a perfect match. For several years The Ben and Shania Grubbs Family Foundation has offered support to Son of a Saint led by its founder Sonny Lee.
His father, Bivian Lee Sr., was drafted by the New Orleans Saints as the 54th overall pick in the third round of the 1971 NFL Draft. The cornerback was an HBCU star for the Prairie View Panthers and still holds the record for 21 interceptions records at the institution. Unfortunately, in 1984, Sonny, at a young age, watched his father have a heart attack and pass away. He grew up desiring his father's presence and was angered not to have him any longer in his life. Later, after his mother recommended counseling to cope with the loss, he learned about business from New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson. In 2011, Sonny Lee founded the Son of a Saint organization to help fatherless young men in the New Orleans community.
"I came from a fatherless home; my dad died when I was five," Grubb said in an interview with the Saints News Network. "My wife also was raised in a fatherless home, so we understand the impact of the mission Sonny has been on for several years. Also, we understand how important it is to fill that gap for some of these boys and girls."
Grubbs and his family will announce their three-year, $150,000 commitment to the Son of a Saint organization tonight. This year's project will be a Summer Camp Giveaway for 50 of the Son of a Saint mentees. "We were giving on a monthly basis. We wanted to be more involved, be more hands-on. I called Sonny [Lee] and asked him if there was an opportunity to partner with the organization to do more. We decided on a three-year plan to give $50,000 each year. They gave us five options, and my wife and I chose the Super Camp Giveaway."
After New Orleans traded Grubbs to the Kansas City Chiefs, he and Shania still donated to Son of a Saint. "Sonny and his organization have always been closest to my heart because of helping those young boys. That's where this started and led us to what we're doing today." Grubbs also plans to get his two sons and two daughters involved in assisting the organization.
The announcement will be held at The Ochsner Health Son of a Saint Bivian Lee Jr. Center at 5:00 PM CT on Thursday, June 1. For more information or to get involved, visit www.sonofasaint.org.
