Greg Anderson was the founder, President and CEO of Anderson Companies, a company he oversaw for 23 years. He was an entrepreneur but also a philanthropist, giving of his time, his insight and his income for the benefit of his community.
We had the pleasure of working with Greg when he approached us to partner with Anderson Companies on the Anderson Companies Annual Golf Tournament in 2014. Beginning in 2005, Greg started the tournament in memory of his sister Jill who had died from complications from a stroke. Greg met with our CEO David King and Chief Operating Officer Bradley Donaldson as well as our Development team to talk about increasing the reach of the tournament as well as raising awareness about stroke. We worked with Greg to watch the annual tournament quickly grow into an all-day event with morning and afternoon rounds of golf, lunch, stroke education and more.
When we interviewed Greg for Stroke Matters in 2014, he said "When we have our events, there'll be 150 to 200 people for dinner at the program. And we'll ask how many people at your table have experienced any type of stroke symptom? A few hands go up. Then, family. Hands. Your top 50 friends? The whole crowd. It's so prevalent out there, it's scary. It’s just scary. Initially, we were going to do this in memory of Jill, and at the same time, don't think about Jill. Think about yourself and what you can do with your families. It’s not there to show what we lost; it's there to drive home education."
We lost Greg on October 24. With him went a partner, a sponsor, and most importantly a friend. Greg was a friend to the Minnesota Stroke Association as well as to the entire stroke community.
"I always enjoyed working with Greg," says Jarret Klein, Events Coordinator for the Minnesota Stroke Association, "He always showed a genuine interest in how my family was doing, and always loved a quick conversation about our (Iowa State) Cyclones. The thing that struck me the most was his very obvious love for his family. Clearly for his sister Jill, but also his own family. He spoke of his kids with such pride as they were getting married and beginning their families, and absolutely lit up when he would talk about being a grandfather. He was just 'one of those guys' who didn't say something if he didn't mean it and didn't do something if it wasn't the right thing to do.
Greg Anderson will be dearly missed.
The Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance is planning our 2023 Annual Conference for Professionals in Brain Injury, which will be held on April 27 and 28, 2023 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. We would like to invite you to submit a proposal or proposals for breakout sessions. Proposals are due by December 12, 2022.
Click here for more information and to fill your RFP today!
The Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance will be offering Lunch and Learn Seminars for Social Workers and Social Service Professionals. Continuing Education Units have been approved by the Board of Social Work and will be available at each seminar (BOSW CEUs & Standard CEUs). The seminars will begin at 12 p.m. and be held via Zoom. Monthly sessions are being offered through December.
Learn more and register for these sessions today!
Our Spring 2022 edition of Mind Matters brings us the touching story of Henry and Jeff and introduces us to the ABCs of Brain Injury, our Public Policy updates, Grey Matters and more.
Click here to read our Spring 2022 edition of Mind Matters.
The Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance provides free or low-cost educational opportunities for all people affected by brain injury and stroke, including family and friends, and training opportunities for the professionals who support them. Our Brain Injury Basics workshops are a primary education opportunity for individuals, families and friends.
Our next session will take place on October 20 from 1 to 2 p.m.
Click here for more information.
Few people understand the personal impact brain injury can have. Its effects often are subtle and difficult to express. In March of 2016, the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance began the Unmasking Brain Injury in Minnesota project - a statewide community-based art project that enlisted the participation of over a thousand individuals living with the effects of brain injury. Unmasking allowed individuals affected by brain injury to design masks that communicate their unique perspectives and altered outlooks. It gave survivors and caregivers a voice to illuminate their life with a brain injury; to show others that persons living with a disability due to brain injury are deserving of respect, compassion and the same opportunities afforded all citizens in their respective communities.
Click here to learn more about Unmasking Brain Injury in Minnesota.