History
The Sauce Foundation was formed in 2018 in memory of Mike Saucier, a beloved father, husband, journalist, colleague and friend. It was formed by Mike’s widow Fernanda and by Andrea and Tom Evans, owners of Frontdoors Media, who worked with Mike for several years. Mike was the first editor of Frontdoors after Andrea and Tom bought the publication in 2017.
The Sauce Foundation’s mission from a fundraising standpoint is two-fold. First, it will fund the Mike Saucier Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications, a scholarship that will help young writers fund their education — with an emphasis on first-generation college students. And second, the Foundation will fund research into treatment and cures for pancreatic cancer, the disease which took Mike’s life.
But along with fundraising, the Foundation aspires to serve as a symbol of hope and strength for those who have lost a loved one to pancreatic cancer or any other circumstance. Mike’s death was sudden, shocking and tragic, but we know that the focus moving forward should be on healing, and creating a legacy in Mike’s memory for future generations.
The signature fundraising event for the Foundation is the Society of Chairs Gala, presented by Frontdoors Media. The event recognizes those who give in our community by serving as chairs for charity events. It was started by community leader Linda Herold a number of years ago, and revived by the Frontdoors Media team in 2018. The Sauce Foundation team has also planned and executed several other fundraising events, with more on the way.
One of the best pieces of advice Tom received during his grieving over Mike’s death was to try to find ways to carry on his memory and impact. Now, we can, by both fighting the terrible disease that took his life and creating an entire generation of Mike Sauciers — kind, thoughtful storytellers with a love of community, friends and family.
Mike may be gone, but through The Sauce Foundation and with the support of our community, we have an opportunity to ensure his impact in the future will be extraordinary.