The Zatkoff Family’s Commitment to the Cause
The Zatkoff Family first learned about Chad Carr through Michigan football. Like so many others, they followed his journey, wore the orange wristbands, participated in the early RunTough events, and watched the now-iconic College GameDay segment with heavy hearts.
But their connection to the cause deepened five years ago, when the family reached a major philanthropic milestone and was ready to expand their impact. Ashley Plamp, a proud Michigan alum and member of the Zatkoff Family Legacy Fund, was tasked by the second generation Zatkoff family members to begin researching hundreds of nonprofits to determine where their support could make the greatest difference. The answer was clear: ChadTough Defeat DIPG.
Through that research, the family learned more about DIPG—an aggressive, incurable brain tumor that can strike any child, anywhere—and how little had changed in treatment options over six decades. The injustice of that fact galvanized their commitment.
Since then, the Zatkoff Family has proudly funded game-changing research, including clinical trials like ONC201, which has already extended life for children with DIPG. They believe, like Chad’s mom Tammi, that the only path forward is through research—and that funding this research can lead to a cure in our lifetime.
“We all have a part to play,” Ashley says. “And we believe this is one fight we can help win.”
