Grayslake couple starts foundation to help families struggling with financial hardship

"When we started this foundation, we had a vision for filling a need that we believed was there. As we have talked with more people in the community and begun our outreach to hospitals and local organizations, we believe we can make a huge difference in the lives of families struggling with the effects of cancer."

Julie and Steve Hupp
Winter 2011 newsletter for the 12 Oaks Foundation

Oct. 8, 2010, was a picture-perfect day in Grayslake.

The sun was shining brightly, and a bit of summer warmth still clung to the air.

It was a particularly fortuitous day to have hundreds of people come together for a mile race and 5K. And it was an especially outstanding day to host a running event benefiting families struggling with the devastating effects of cancer.

Attended by young and old alike, Matt’s Mile & 5K was the inaugural event hosted by the 12 Oaks Foundation, a nonprofit group raising funds for children who would like to participate in sports and other extracurricular activities but cannot because their family is facing financial hardship.

Created by Julie and Steve Hupp of Grayslake, the 12 Oaks Foundation serves another inspiring purpose as well – it honors the memory of the Hupp’s son Matt, who died in 2009 of cancer at age 13.

“Matt was a very, very active kid,” Julie Hupp said, explaining that her son had always been involved in multiple sports and loved to spend time with his family.

“He was always doing something,” she said.

Whether it was running track at St. Gilbert Catholic School in Grayslake or taking the field with the Grayslake Colts youth football team, Matt Hupp was a huge sports enthusiast.

In addition to track and football, the youngster played basketball and baseball and loved to snowboard. His younger siblings, Grant, now 13, and Elyse, 10, also have been involved in an array of extracurriculars.

But such activities were limited when Matt was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a rare, aggressive cancer that affects the lymphatic system.

Though the Hupp’s relatives, friends and other community members helped them emotionally and financially during the time Matt was sick, the family’s bank accounts were strained.

It was then that Julie and Steve Hupp started making decisions that directly affected their children.

“What we realized as we went through this is there is very little help for people who on paper look OK, but yet you’re trying to conserve everything because you don’t know what the future holds,” Julie Hupp said. “I know I pulled the kids out of piano, and the kids didn’t get any camp that year. We just didn’t want to spend money where we didn’t have to.”

The realization that seemingly well-off people needed to make such difficult decisions while dealing with the financial strains of cancer – coupled with the outpouring of support that the Hupps received as Matt battled his illness – sparked the idea for the 12 Oaks Foundation. The Hupps needed to find a way to remember their son and give back to others, they said.

“We were so blessed because we had great friends and a great community,” Steve Hupp said. “A lot people don’t always have that family or friend support.”

With the assistance of those around them, the 12 Oaks Foundation and its two main fundraisers – Matt’s Mile & 5K and a Hoops for Hope basketball tournament – began to take shape.

The first Matt’s Mile took place on what would have been Matt’s 15th birthday. More than 700 runners and volunteers attended the event, and more than $35,000 was raised.

Afterward, an additional $70,000 was donated to 12 Oaks by an anonymous source.

"Amazingly, it all came together, as far as people opening up their hearts and understanding what it's all about," said Judi George, a friend of the Hupps and member of the Matt's Mile sponsorship committee. "Everybody has been affected by cancer. The fact that Julie and Steve have a mission to help families, that really struck a chord with a lot of businesses. At the end of the day, a lot of sponsorships came through."

The success of the fundraiser also was recognized by Diane Walkowiak, Julie Hupp’s right-hand woman when it came to organizing Matt’s Mile.

Walkowiak described the undertaking as the “family event of the year,” noting that many people believed the Hupps would succeed in hosting an unforgettable run.

“You knew they were going to take all this energy that was given to them and turn it around and give it all right back,” she said. “We just had this outpouring [of support]. It was incredible.”

The Hupp's next big fundraiser is the Hoops for Hope tournament, which will take place Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, at Grayslake North and Grayslake Central high schools, respectively.
Boys, girls and adults are welcome to sign up for the three-on-three event, Steve Hupp said.

“We thought this would be a nice spring event to complement the fall event,” he said. “We can’t raise a ton of money with this event, but it will help spread the word to the organizations we are trying to reach. I love basketball, and Julie loves running, so we thought these would be good things to divide up.”

Family friend Mark Ruhlmann is helping organize Hoops for Hope. He said the idea behind the event and the 12 Oaks Foundation is one that many have found to be a win-win.

“When you think about it, it is a great situation for the organizations that are able to participate,” he said. “This is a little but different – it’s a chance to connect with a group that not only helps the organization, but also its participants.”

The 12 Oaks Foundation is in a position to start helping families in need. Details about the organization, including sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, can be found at www.12oaksfoundation.org or by calling 847-508-0351.

“People are proud, and it’s hard sometimes to say, ‘We would like funding,’ when you’re used to paying for everything for your kids,” Julie Hupp said. “We just want to make [this] comfortable ... tell us your story; show us there’s a sickness, and we’ll make an assessment.”

“And part of [the whole foundation] is to make it fun,” Steve Hupp said. “The last thing Matt would want is for people to sit around being sad and just kind of moping. This is fun stuff that he’d like to be doing. They’re community events – you’d be doing them whether they were fundraisers or not.”

Getting to know ... Julie and Steve Hupp

Occupations: Julie is a certified financial planner; Steve is a strategic pricing manager
Family: The couple has three children, Grant, 13, Elyse, 10, and Matt, who passed away in 2009
Village of residence: Grayslake
Education: Steve and Julie both have accounting degrees from the University of Illinois; Julie also has a master's degree from the Kellog School of Management
Hobbies: Julie's hobbies are triathlons, gardening, cooking and reading; Steve's hobbies are playing basketball, golfing, coaching basketball and baseball and music