Sixth annual Roger Maris All-Star Week returns June 15
May 13, 2026
Contact:
Nathan Aamodt
Sanford Health Media Relations
(701) 200-6080/nathan.aamodt@sanfordhealth.org
FARGO, N.D. – The sixth annual Roger Maris All-Star Week returns June 15-19 at various locations throughout the Fargo-Moorhead area.
100% of funds raised during Roger Maris All-Star Week will stay local and help support Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center’s vision to expand into a national destination for cancer research, treatment, education and training. In October 2021, Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center launched the region’s first and only Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program. Sanford Fargo provides autologous transplants, meaning the patients donated their own cells for processing and transplant, allogeneic bone marrow transplants, where cells are taken from a healthy donor’s bone marrow for a transplant and CAR T therapy, where genetically modified T cells are infused.
“Roger Maris All-Star Week helps raise much needed funds to allow the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center Cancer to continue providing world-class health care close to home,” said Dr. Anu Gaba, Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center medical oncologist. “The gift of philanthropy has completely transformed the level of cancer care available in our community. The implementation of Sanford Health’s Blood and Bone Marrow Program and the future completion of the Peltier Lodge allows our patients to get care at home and the ability to avoid being multiple hours away from home, for months at a time.”
Roger Maris All-Star Week was created to support the work happening at the cancer center, honor loved ones, friends and neighbors affected by cancer, promote Roger’s passion for fitness and youth sports and celebrate the enduring legacy of hometown hero, Roger Maris.
The list of events during Roger Maris All-Star week includes:
• Youth sports clinics– June 15-19
• RedHawks game – June 15
• Roger Maris Gala – June 17
• Edith 9-Hole Golf Tournament – June 18
• Roger Maris Celebrity Golf Tournament – June 18
• Roger Maris All-Star Week Radiothon – June 18
• Maris Academy – June 19
Youth clinics this year include basketball, football, baseball and softball, golf, hockey, volleyball and pickleball. Each clinic is free to attend and will be conducted by local, high school and collegiate coaches. Parents can sign their children up for the free clinics at RogerMarisWeek.com.
The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks will play host to the Winnipeg Goldeyes on Monday, June 15. Sanford Health is a proud sponsor of “Roger Maris Cancer Center Night”.
The Roger Maris Gala takes place on Wednesday, June 17, from 6-10 p.m. at The 44 Venue, 15 Main Ave., Colfax, N.D. The Gala is a night to celebrate the tradition of philanthropy at Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center. Event goers will hear local stories of hope and healing, as well as hear an update on exclusive plans for the next era of cancer care for patients in the Upper Midwest and their families who need care close to home. Tickets and tables are available to be purchased at rogermarisgala.com. 100% of funds raised during the Roger Maris Gala will support the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center’s vision to become a national destination for cancer research, treatment, education and training.
The second annual Edith Sanford 9-Hole Golf Tournament presented by Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops tees off at 8 a.m. at Rose Creek Golf Course. This pink-themed event will help support innovative breast cancer research and patient care. The Edith Sanford 9-hole tournament will feature specialty coffee, a photo station, contests, swag bags and appearances by celebrities. Both men and women are encouraged to wear pink.
The Roger Maris Celebrity Golf Tournament presented by Happy Harry’s Bottle Shops returns for a 42nd season, teeing off at 12 p.m. at Rose Creek Golf Course. The tournament began as a way to raise money for local charities. Now four decades later, the tournament has now transformed into a weeklong event supporting the needs of the community.
Celebrity athletes will once again make an appearance at numerous events throughout the week. This year’s lists of headlining athletes includes:
• Scott Hamilton, 1984 Olympic Gold Medal winner in men’s figure skating
• Chad Greenway, former Minnesota Vikings linebacker and two-time National Football League Pro Bowl selection
• Chris Klieman, Former North Dakota State University and Kansas State University head football coach
• Gene Taylor, former North Dakota State University and current Kansas State University director of athletics
“Our family is excited to get back to Fargo for another great week of sharing dad’s All-Star values in sports and life to the community,” said Roger Maris Jr. “Roger Maris All-Star Week is a great way to give back to the community while raising funds to provide the highest level of cancer care right here in Fargo. There is no better way for my dad’s legacy to live on than through the compassionate care, innovation and reputation of the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center.”
The Sanford Health Foundation is teaming up with The Mighty 790 KFGO to host the Roger Maris All-Star Week Radiothon. The radiothon is an event to raise awareness and monetary donations to support special services, patient amenities, funding for direct patient assistance and research at the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center. KFGO will be broadcasting live from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, inside CJ’s Tavern at Rose Creek Golf Course during the Roger Maris Celebrity Golf Tournament.
The Roger Maris Academy is designed to be a year-long program to help youth in our community explore various pathways to a great career. Thirty local middle school students will participate in combined educational and mentorship opportunities designed to help them discover their future careers. The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Red River Valley, in partnership with Sanford Health and the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber, has developed an exciting curriculum for the program. The Maris Academy meets Friday, June 19, at Kingpinz.
In 1961, Roger Maris hit a Major League Baseball single-season record 61 home runs. Although Maris lost his battle to non-Hodgkin Lymphoma at the age of 51, his legacy lives on through Roger Maris All-Star Week and the lifesaving care provided at the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center. Since opening its doors in 1990, the comprehensive cancer center has and continues to bring hope to those in and around the region.
For more information on Roger Maris All-Star Week or to sign up for the youth clinics or golf tournaments, visit RogerMarisWeek.com.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
