More Than a Foundation: Our Story, Our Why, and the Future Ahead
Welcome to the Knock on Wood Foundation!
Every meaningful journey begins with a why. Ours began with love, was shaped by loss, and continues with a purpose much greater than ourselves.
The Knock on Wood Foundation was created in loving memory of Tony Wood, a man whose legacy continues to inspire us to make a difference in the lives of others. What began as a way to honor one extraordinary life has grown into a mission to bring hope, compassion, and tangible support to individuals and families facing some of life's most difficult challenges.
As we welcome you to our very first blog post, we want to share a little about who we are, why we do what we do, and where we hope to go from here.
Who We Are: A Foundation Built on Love
At our heart, the Knock on Wood Foundation is about people helping people.
We are a charitable organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families navigating cancer, with a particular focus on those seeking potentially life-changing clinical trial treatments.
When someone is fighting for their health, the challenges extend far beyond hospital walls. While medical teams focus on treatment, patients and their loved ones are often left facing another overwhelming reality: the financial and emotional burden of simply getting through each day.
Travel expenses. Housing. Transportation. Everyday bills. The cost of being away from work. These are the often-overlooked obstacles that can stand between a patient and the care they desperately need.
We believe that financial hardship should never be the reason someone has to give up hope.
Our mission is to help ease those burdens by providing assistance with non-medical expenses, allowing patients and their families to focus on what matters most: healing, being together, and moving forward with hope.
Our Why: Turning Love and Loss Into Purpose
The story of the Knock on Wood Foundation is deeply personal.
It is rooted in the life and memory of Tony Wood, whose name and spirit remain at the center of everything we do.
Losing someone you love changes the way you see the world. It reminds you how precious time is, how fragile life can be, and how much even the smallest act of kindness can mean to someone facing the unimaginable.
Under the leadership of our president, Kim Wood, the foundation carries Tony's legacy forward with a commitment to giving back. As a breast cancer survivor herself, Kim understands that a cancer diagnosis affects far more than the person receiving it. It touches entire families, changes everyday life, and requires a kind of strength that often goes unseen.
That understanding is woven into the heart of our mission.
Because behind every diagnosis is a person. Behind every patient is a family. And behind every family is a story that deserves compassion, dignity, and hope.
We cannot take away every hardship, but we can help carry some of the weight.
And sometimes, that can make all the difference.
What We've Accomplished: The Power of Community
In our first two years, the Knock on Wood Foundation has raised more than $200,000, a milestone made possible by the generosity of our supporters, sponsors, volunteers, and community.
Our annual Tony Wood Memorial Golf Tournament has become more than a fundraising event. It is a gathering of people united by a shared purpose, a celebration of Tony's life, and a reminder of what can happen when a community comes together for something bigger than itself.
Through our charitable efforts and our support of organizations such as MD Anderson Medical Center and St. Jude, we continue working to turn generosity into meaningful impact. But the true measure of our success will never be found in a dollar amount alone. It will be found in the families who feel a little less overwhelmed. The patients who can focus more fully on treatment. The moments of relief made possible by someone else's kindness.
Those are the victories that matter most to us.
The Future Ahead: Growing Our Reach, Deepening Our Impact
While we are proud of how far we've come, we know this is only the beginning.
Our vision for the future is to expand our reach, build meaningful relationships with hospitals and medical institutions, and create more opportunities to support patients and families pursuing clinical trial treatments.
We hope to strengthen our partnerships, grow our fundraising initiatives, and develop lasting programs that provide practical assistance during some of life's most uncertain moments.
We also want the Knock on Wood Foundation to become a place where stories are shared, voices are heard, and people feel connected.
That is part of why we are starting this blog. Here, we hope to share the stories behind our mission, celebrate the people who make our work possible, highlight the importance of access to treatment, and offer a glimpse into the lives and communities we are working to support.
Because awareness creates understanding. Understanding inspires compassion. And compassion, when put into action, creates change.
A Legacy That Lives On
If there is one thing we hope you take away from our story, it is this:
Love does not end with loss. Sometimes, it becomes the very thing that changes someone else's life.
The Knock on Wood Foundation is more than a name, a fundraiser, or an organization. It is a living legacy. A promise to keep showing up. A commitment to turn remembrance into action and hardship into hope.
To everyone who has supported us, believed in our mission, attended an event, made a donation, or simply shared our story: thank you.
You are part of this foundation. You are part of Tony's legacy. And you are helping us build a future in which more families feel supported when they need it most.
We have so much more we hope to accomplish, so many more lives we hope to touch, and so many more stories we hope to share.
This is our ‘why’. This is our beginning. And the best of what we can do together is still ahead of us.
With love and gratitude,
The Knock on Wood Foundation Team
Every Day Is A Great Day here.
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