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Meet Your Neighbor: Kathy Maddux
By Callie Thomas
As the wife of a major league baseball pitcher–the first pitcher in history to win the Cy Young Award four years in a row–you might assume that 89113 resident Kathy Maddux knows a thing or two about America’s favorite pastime. But what you may not know is that one of her favorite pastimes is reaching out to children and families in need throughout our community.
The mother of daughter Paige and son Chase and wife of baseball great Greg Maddux is passionate about giving back. It started in 1990 when her husband was playing for the Chicago Cubs. “The player’s wives had an organization called Cub Wives for Family Rescue. I started volunteering and fundraising for a battered women’s shelter as part of the group,” says Maddux. “Upon returning to Vegas I started volunteering for Safe Nest.”
Safe Nest is a local shelter that advocates and promotes the eradication of domestic violence. It assists by providing confidential shelter, food, clothing, counseling, education and other services with the highest dignity and respect for its clients. “I started with training, helping in the office, answering phones and taking kids on mini field trips,” she said. Through those experiences she had the privilege of working with the Executive Director of the organization, Estelle Murphy, who influenced her desire to help the group further. “Many people don’t realize the different ways that Safe Nest helps our community. It is so much more than a shelter.” Kathy saw where the group needed additional assistance and became aware of other community organizations that needed support.
In 1993 she and her husband started The Maddux Foundation. “We wanted to give back to our community of Las Vegas and also the cities where Greg was playing baseball.” Kathy is President of the foundation, her husband Greg is Vice President and her sister and brother-in-law Kim and Ed Orci are board members. No one on the board is paid nor will be. Since its inception, the focus of the foundation has been to provide for a variety of charities. Most involve helping children. Safe Nest remains an important beneficiary of the foundation and others include Candlelighters, Child Haven and the Boys and Girls Club to name a few.
In 2006 Safe Nest approached Kathy and her husband to chair a capital campaign. The couple accepted and has been helping raise funds for a new building ever since. “I’ve learned so much as a chairperson for Safe Nest’s capital drive,” Maddux said. “I’ve met amazing people who want to give back to the community. It has been wonderful to be a part of an organization that is so dedicated. It has been very inspiring and makes me want to do even more to help others.”
When the opportunity to host a celebrity golf tournament with legendary golf instructor Butch Harmon arose, the answer was yes. Since its inception in 2001, the invitational has raised over $850,000 for The Maddux Foundation, and they anticipate raising over $1 million through this year’s event, which will be held on October 25 and 26. The program includes the golf tournament at Spanish Trail Country Club, a dinner and auction at the Venetian Resort Hotel, an instructional golf clinic with Butch Harmon and a whiffle ball challenge with Greg Maddux. “All of the proceeds from the tournament stay in Las Vegas for local charities,” Kathy said.
While Kathy Maddux leads a busy life as a wife and mother, she feels her family has been fortunate and is dedicated to giving back. “I see the strength of people who go through more in their lives than most can imagine, and I want to help. There are so many ways to help and sometimes we can learn more from giving back than can be put into words.”
