‘Little things become big things’ with Pat Casey’s foundation
Pat Casey has done a lot of things in his adult life. Coached an Oregon State baseball team to three College World Series championships. With wife Susan, raised a family with four children. Been a devout Catholic who attends Mass every morning.
Now Casey is founder and chairman of the board of a foundation designed to help those in need.
The name of the foundation is “SOAR4,” an acronym for “Share Our Abundant Resources.” The website is Soarvision.org. The foundation is a 501 (C) (3) organization.
There are four major goals: 1) feed the hungry, 2) housing and shelter, 3) health services and 4) education.
Says Casey: “We want to support local food banks, kitchens and meal programs; support shelters, transitional housing programs and provide resources to assist people experiencing homelessness; invest in healthcare providers, clinics and programs to ensure access to healthcare, and support local schools, scholarships and educational programs for students.”
Casey retired after coaching the Beavers to their third national title in 2018. For five years, he served as senior associate athletic director/special assistant to the AD at Oregon State. He stepped away from those duties in 2023, and now is more focused on the foundation, which began in 2019 but, slowed by the pandemic, became operational in 2021.
“When you coach at the college level, you get a lot of things done for you,” Casey told a group at a recent reception at the Lake Oswego home of board member Jim Mendenhall. “There was always a part of me that said, ‘I want to give back.’ There are a lot of people in need. We want to see what we can do in a unique way.”
The other members of the board of directors are Morgan Pearson, Tim Hennessy, Jeff Shearer and Cassandra Cooper. Mendenhall, a businessman, OSU graduate and avid support of Beaver athletics, came aboard about a year ago.
Former Oregon State baseball coach Pat Casey is doing what he can to help fund smaller charities in the Northwest (courtesy Morgan Pearson)
“I believe in Pat, and with his leadership I knew it would be done right,” Mendenhall says. “We specialize in aiding smaller charities, the kind that are often overlooked but do a lot of good work. It’s hard for them to raise money. We have the capability to attract donors because of Pat’s good name and connections.”
Casey has been a tireless fund-raiser for the Oregon State athletic program in general and its baseball program in particular. He is stepping outside his comfort zone with the foundation.
“It has been a really a difficult thing for me to talk to people about giving,” he says. “I know they are being asked by a lot of different (charitable organizations) for help.”
Casey finds inspiration in his oldest son, Jonathan, who is autistic.
“I am so glad to be able to take care of him,” Casey says, “but I am worried about people like him and families who don’t have the resources to do that.”
Some examples of SOAR4’s outreach:
• As a preschooler, Jon Casey had attended Old Mill Center for Children and Families in Corvallis. SOAR4 partnered with Old Mill Center to provide gifts to 395 children and 147 families during the 2023 holiday season.
• Corvallis community member Virginia Duncan had a cousin, Jacinta Eslava, who needed surgery while battling cancer in The Philippines and couldn’t pay for it.
“We gave money to the Red Cross so he could have the surgery, and it saved his life,” Casey says.
• By partnering with a local connection in Lake Oswego, SOAR4 supported “Friends of the Sisters of Our Lady Queen of Africa,” which provides education, healthcare, shelter and food in a remote part of Tanzania.
• SOAR4 provided financial support to the Willamette Valley Fellowship of Christian Athletes, coordinated by former Oregon State assistant coach Pat Bailey.
• Donations have been made to Harper’s Playground, a program that builds and maintains inclusive playgrounds, and Rising Stars Youth Leadership program in Lincoln County.
• Not long ago, the board was presented with a single woman raising four children.
“We bought her food cards and a gift certificate so she could take the kids out for pizza,” he says. “There are a lot of people who don’t know how to get that type of help. We want to help people in need, and there are a hell of a lot of people out there in need. I believe there is something good in giving. Doing that always gives back to you.”
Casey says 100 percent of the money raised by SOAR4 goes out to the recipient.
“We have zero overhead,” he says. “We cover everything and will continue to do that. The money is going to good causes, and I’ll be a champion for that.”
People or organizations seeking help can reach out at soar4vision@gmail.com. Projects are considered by the board and approved by consensus of its members, Mendenhall says.
“We look at a charity’s financials, ask some questions and make a decision,” he says. “I anticipate us looking at more opportunities as word gets out more (about SOAR4). There is no shortage of causes.”
Those who wish to donate can do so on the home page at Soarvision.org.
Casey estimates the organization has already made contributions to about 25 charities for a total of about $100,000. Board members are in the early stages of planning an event such as a fund-raising dinner or golf tournament to introduce the organization to the public.
“I hope there comes a day we can hire somebody full-time to find places to give money,” he says. “We have had a tremendous response from people who attended (the reception at Mendenhall’s). That’s encouraging to me. I’m excited about the possibilities. Little things become big things when good people get involved.”
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