We are CAN | Kae Pankow

Some people find their way to a cause. Others seem like they were always meant for it.

For Kae Pankow, the path to CAN Council runs straight through the heart of Saginaw — the neighborhoods where she grew up, the schools she walked to, the city she has spent her career pouring herself into.

Her father was an administrator for the Saginaw city schools, and his influence shaped her early. He taught her to be kind to everyone. That lesson took on real meaning at Handley Elementary, where students with physical and cognitive disabilities attended alongside her. As a kid, she pushed wheelchairs and helped classmates participate in gym class. She didn't think of it as volunteering. It was just what you did.

"My father and mother always taught me to give back to the community you were raised in," she says. It's a philosophy she has never outgrown.

For over two decades, Kae has been one of the most recognizable names in Saginaw sports and in Saginaw generosity. As a longtime member of the Saginaw Spirit organization, she built a career that defied every expectation. With no formal sales background and a degree from Delta College, she walked into an opportunity fueled by two things: a love of sports and a love of kids. Dick and Craig took a chance on her. She made it count. Out of all 60 teams in the CHL, no one has sold more advertising dollars — a record her colleagues are proud to share, even when she hesitates to.

"Coming to work doesn't feel like a job to me," she says, "because I get to work with the most extraordinary people on a daily basis."

That same energy followed her to CAN Council. In 2002, Pam Winters connected her with the organization, recognizing a natural fit. Kae joined the Fund Development Committee, stepped into chairing and co-chairing the Mardi Gras sponsorship committee, and eventually served six years on CAN Council's Board of Directors. The Spirit's specialty nights — events pairing community organizations with packed arenas and open hearts — have raised over $3.3 million for nonprofits over 20 years. CAN Council has been part of that story.

Then came this past December, and a moment she didn't see coming. At a Spirit game, surrounded by a crowd she'd helped build over decades, she was called forward and presented with the Community Hero Award. Mike Tribble — a man she's known for 24 years, one of the Spirit's most devoted fans — was the one to hand it to her. She was overcome. "It meant the world to me," she says simply.

Away from the rink and the boardroom, Kae is the person her friends call the party planner. She is always ready for a new adventure, always building the next experience for the people she loves. Golf has been her constant for over 30 years; she's played with the same partner for all of them. She's traveled across Europe and has more trips on the horizon. Her favorite new adventures involve her grandchildren — bike rides, new places, and the joy of seeing the world through their eyes.

When asked what being a part of CAN Council means to her, she doesn't hesitate: "Total joy and commitment to stop child abuse in this region. I couldn't be prouder to be affiliated with CAN Council."

Some people find their way to a cause. Kae Pankow found hers — and never let go.