PHOENIX (AZFamily) \u2014 At the heart of the Arizona Cardinals organization lies a mission far beyond the gridiron. <\/p>\n
The Arizona Cardinals Foundation is hosting the second annual Cardinals Climb<\/a> at State Farm Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2027. This unique event will transform the stadium into hiking routes of varying difficulty to raise funds for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n Participants can become \u201cclimb leaders\u201d to create teams, recruit others and fundraise. Others can join existing teams to support friends, colleagues or a specific organization. To register for the event, click\/tap here<\/a>. <\/p>\n Donations can also be made in support of the climb<\/a>, with no participation needed.<\/p>\n How it began<\/p>\n Last year, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill sat down with Arizona\u2019s Family anchor Susan Casper to share why the Cardinals are committed to making football, and life, accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n \u201cIt impacts my own family; I have a nephew with special needs,\u201d Bidwill said. <\/p>\n The Cardinals have been supporting various philanthropic efforts<\/a> for the past 30 years. Some say it\u2019s what lies at the heart of the organization.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat the mission is, is to raise as many dollars as we can for organizations that support special needs,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s not a sports organization that\u2019s focused on that. There\u2019s more need. And as these kids grow and age, their parents\u2019 age, they worry about services for those young women and men that need extra help.\u201d<\/p>\n At the center of the Arizona Cardinals Foundation are four cornerstone charities: Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center<\/a>, Treasure House Phoenix<\/a>, Special Olympics Arizona<\/a> and Barrow Neurological Foundation<\/a>. Each of the charities received a three-year commitment from the foundation to fund new, innovative programs, expand services and promote inclusion.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy the special needs community? Why was that so important?\u201d Casper asked. <\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so many folks with special needs that can be productive members of a workforce, can be, you know, continue their education. And also, they want their independence. You know, my nephew wanted to move out of the house. I know Kurt Warner\u2019s son, Zach, wanted to move out of the house, and that\u2019s why he and Brenda created the Treasure House, which is where Zach lives, and he\u2019s built his own life there, and he\u2019s thriving,\u201d Bidwill replied. \u201cSo that\u2019s what we\u2019re hoping the foundation and Cardinals Climb can fund.\u201d<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n