A Grand Slam Opportunity for Teens is Now in the FM Area!

Summer 2022, Sanford Health and The CLUB Teen Center announced the inaugural Roger Maris Academy. The Maris Academy is a multi-year program designed specifically for Grades 6-12 that provides exciting career exploration opportunities right here in our community.

Mission: Building Tomorrow's Leaders, Innovators, and Problem Solvers

Participation in the Maris Academy offers teens combined educational and mentorship opportunities designed to help them:

• Develop a vision for their future,
• Discover new and unique occupations, and
• Explore their personal interests and strengths.

“The Maris Academy is all about giving kids an opportunity to get on the right track by sharpening their educational and life skills,” said Roger Maris Jr. “By making Roger Maris All-Star Week more than a one day thing and having this mentorship last a full year, I really think we can change the lives of some of these children. Our dad would be so proud with how his legacy is living on.”

“We are excited about this partnership with Sanford Health,” said Robin Nelson, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Red River Valley. “Not only for the positive opportunities and experiences it will offer the youth, but also for the potential it will provide for the future of workforce development in our community.”  

MARIS ACADEMY EXPERIENCES:

Roots Hair & Soul Barbershop

Fargo Parks District Forestry Department

Fargo Parks District Aquatics Department

Elite Massage & Health Partners

Sanford Ambulance

ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) Northern Sun Division

M State Cardiovascular & Surgical Tech

NDSU School of Pharmacy APhA Concept Pharmacy

Sanford Power

The CLUB Holiday Dinner | Doolittle’s Restaurant

Radio FM Media

Sanford Equipment

NDSU School of Nursing

Sanford Health Dining and Nutrition Services

Sanford Health Athletic Complex & NDSU Athletics

Sanford Security

Sanford AirMed

Sanford Physical Therapy | Sanford Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Sanford EMS - Explorer Academy

A Career as a Sanford Health Child Life Specialist

About Roger Maris

Legendary baseball player and hometown hero Roger Maris loved his community. While everyone else in the world knows Maris as the man who held the world record for major league single-season homeruns from 1961 to 1998, he is also known as the man who has impacted Fargo in more ways than can be counted. His legacy lives on through the lifesaving care provided at the Sanford Roger Maris Cancer Center, named in his honor, as well as programs like the Maris Academy.

Maris Academy Experiences

Maris Academy Kick-Off Celebration

Sanford Health and The CLUB Teen Center kicked off the inaugural Maris Academy on June 15, 2022.

The event featured the Teens meeting the Roger Maris family, including his adult children and grandchildren; an introduction run through a tunnel of supporters; photo ops; swag; and presentations from:

• Freddy Coleman, former NDSU basketball player, now head of Sanford Basketball Academy
• Jazz (Maris) Naglee, Granddaughter of Roger Maris and business woman
• Brock Lesnar, World Champion Wrestler