By Rolise Rachel

On Wednesday, September 18th The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) hosted its 18th annual Heroes, Heart & Hope Gala. The event founded by Scott and Emily Stackman was held at Casa Cipriani in the Battery Maritime Building, a historic landmark in New York City.  The private member’s club, with a 47-room hotel and private event space, was the perfect location for the prestigious event honoring extraordinary athletes with physical disabilities. 

The Heros Heart & Hope Gala highlights the achievements of these athletes and the personal transformative impact CAF has on them. The emotional immersive event is partially focused on storytelling from the very courageous CAF athletes. The funds raised make a huge difference to these individuals. 

The Stackmans have been involved with CAF as long-time advocates for over 18 years. CAF has been life-changing and transformative as the couple has not only chaired the event as philanthropists but has also focused on gala production and fundraising year-round so that CAF can support athletes, programs, and secure adaptive sports equipment. Together they have been instrumental in changing the philanthropic topography for CAF in the U.S., especially in the North East. This couple has inspired their most esteemed and influential guests and raised of over 2.4 million at the most recent Heros, Hope, and Heart gala. 

“CAF is helping the next generation of athletes break down barriers and achieve what was once thought of as impossible,” 

 “The funds raised at our Heroes, Heart, and Hope Gala will have a profound impact on the lives of athletes with physical disabilities, enabling them to achieve their full potential and thrive."

Said Scott Stackman, Host, Chairman, and Gala founder.

Bob Costas, 28 Emmy award winner for his work on NBC, and 12-year Olympic Games host, conducted an on-stage interview with CAF 14-year-old Rosalie Parker. Parker, a friendly and spirited athlete from Boise, Idaho, captivated the audience with her remarkable story and her passion for adaptive sports through a CAF baseball clinic. She now serves as a role model within the CAF community. In 2020, Rosalie lost all four limbs in a life-changing car accident. 

Rosalie presented Bob with a painting. "I painted a woman at bat to symbolize the start of my journey in CAF,” she said. " “I want to give this to you because I know you love sports”  She's painted as a sunshine because it's the beginning of a new life.

A longtime CAF supporter and volunteer since 2006, Alan Mnuchin was honored for his dedication and contributions to the foundation. Mnuchin and his family have actively participated in various events and have helped raise funds to support adaptive sports equipment and programs.

Misdiagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at a young age, Scott Sussman, a dedicated athlete and father, rediscovered adaptive sports later in life. He and his son Tyler, now diagnosed with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, participate in various adaptive sports, demonstrating resilience and the belief that anything is possible.

This critical fundraising event, raised over $2.4 million to support CAF’s mission. These funds help provide adaptive sports equipment and programs for individuals to live active and fulfilling lives with CAF.

There is still time to donate to the event to support challenged athletes in the Northeast and beyond, visit ChallengedAthletes.org/HhhDonation to contribute to CAF and its programs.

About the Challenged Athletes Foundation

The Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) stands as a global leader in empowering individuals with physical disabilities to embrace vibrant, active lives. CAF firmly believes that engaging in physical activity fosters self-esteem, encourages independence, and enriches the quality of life. CAF has been at the forefront of the adaptive sports movement for three transformative decades, catalyzing change and redefining possibilities. Since its inception in 1994, CAF has raised over $178 million and fulfilled 48,000 funding requests from people with physical disabilities across all 50 states and more than 73 countries, impacting another 60,000 individuals annually through its outreach efforts. From providing essential equipment like handcycles to offering mentorship and encouragement, CAF's mission is clear: to provide opportunities and support to those who aspire to lead active, athletic lifestyles. To learn more, please visit ChallengedAthletes.org.

Scott Stackman Interview

How & why did you get interested in starting Heros Heart & Hope? 

In 2004 my dad passed away and I wanted to continue the legacy of giving. That year I entered Challenged Athletes Foundation’s flagship fundraising event, called the San Diego Triathlon Challenge. Entering a triathlon is a prerequisite to entering the Hawaiian Iron Man. I had a photo of my father with me close to my heart. It was the end of the race and I was surrounded by 700 other exhausted athletes, many with disabilities, when a young boy Jake Frank grabbed my hat and ran away taking it with him and I chased after him.

Jake Frank was not just any athlete, he was a young boywith a big smile and two prosthetic legs (?)…. Jake, a double amputee shortly after birth, opened my eyes to something bigger. See the video below. 

Jake Frank inspired me and introduced me to Bob Babbitt, Co-founder of The Challenged Athletes Foundation. I offered to create a gala in N.Y.C. called Heroes, Heart, & Hope.  In the first year, we raised 375K, and 750K in the next and now 18 years later we raised over 2.4 million. We have never raised less than 1.7 million. My background is in finance and my peers are in finance and real estate.

How has it impacted you and your family’s life?

It’s become an integral part of my identity and my family’s. My children were 3 and 4 when we created a telethon and they played basketball in the backyard with a child with no hands.

What are some of your goals? 

My goal is for CAF’s Heroes Heart & Hope galas and weekends to become the ultimate family event of acceptance of differences. It’s almost a drug impacting lives for the better and inspiring people to give money to create a huge difference for individual lives.

What are the organization's programs and how do they work?

CAF clubs and school activations are both fundamental. Guest speakers at Schools bring athletes to the classrooms to create awareness. It’s great for the school’s culture. Game day at Chelsea Piers includes athletes with adaptive gear and Riverdale Country School swimming are both inclusive workouts.

CAF also hosts camps and clinics nationwide, supporting more than 100 different sports.

Could you tell us something most people don’t know about athletes with disabilities?  

Athletes with physical disabilities don’t just have physical, emotional, and financial challenges. They also face disappointments. Did you know that sports prostheses are considered a luxury item by insurance companies? That’s why CAF exists. Their mission is to get individuals back into the game of life through sport. CAF gives grants for adaptive equipment, coaching and travel expenses, Thus, the impact of the dollar raised by HHH for CAF is tremendous.

The Kenniscentrum Sport en Bewegen has calculated that an investment in sports prostheses has a payout of around 4,5 times.

What are CAF’s greatest needs?

We have a network of mentors who are forced to say no to grants because of lack of funding. Think about that for a moment. Think about how that would make you feel as the possible grant recipient or the mentor. The feeling is called disappointment. Like many foundations, we are always looking for corporate sponsors.

How is the foundation governed, and how are decisions made? 

There is an event committee for the HHH in San Francisco, Idaho, San Diego, and smaller activations. There is a national board with 18 members.

What accomplishments are you most proud of in the foundation?

The largest accomplishments are the community we built and the annual support that we receive. HHH and CAF are driven by mission and passion. The community we created has given those the empowerment needed an irreplaceable gift.  We have given a child back to the parent and the parent back to the child. Our athletes have every obstacle in front of them and CAF allows them to create opportunities, while able-bodied athletes are born with every opportunity and create their own obstacles. This has helped keep everything in perspective and honors my parents. 

How the foundation has evolved?

It’s evolved so that our network continues to grow and we have expanded into new regions, which has been explosive.  

What are the goals of the foundation over the next 5 years? 

The school integration creates acceptance and awareness. I hope to find more Scotts in other areas of the US. 

Where do you see the foundation in 10 and 20 years?

Hopefully my kids will be very involved and this becomes the “go-to charity” that hospitals reach out to and our name is so well recognized. I’d like CAF to be the road map, Holy Grail, and playbook to walk everyone through their difficult time. After Iraq, there were a lot of veterans that we sent to Boston after the bombing where they helped with the emotional challenge. We have evolved since then and will continue to do so. 

What does the post-event feedback look like? 

The feedback has been remarkable. I receive so many heartfelt letters from the donors and the athletes alike. They thank me for changing how they see things are inspired by making a life-changing difference or describe how their families have changed for the better. This charity event is more like an immersive and tangible experience, where everyone is silent in the room, waiting and listening to every word.  Each word matters as it is part of a story that describes a transformation.