MEET OUR TEAM

Garrett Colvin
Founder

I grew up playing sports like any other kid. My Bubby (maternal grandmother), Joyce Gevirtzman Shugar, would watch me for hours playing outside from the windows of her North Carolina home on my frequent visits from Atlanta. She was battling Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), an umbrella term used to describe progressive lung diseases that cause airflow blockage and breathing-related problems. In 2005, I lost my number one fan to COPD when I was seven. I still remember how challenging even simple daily tasks became as her COPD became more debilitating. She never once complained and continued to give unstintingly of herself to her family. At age 9, I began playing and managing fantasy sports leagues. Over the next six years, I became more and more enthralled by it, and I brainstormed this idea that I could use my passion of fantasy sports for social good, in honor of my Bubby. I was astounded to learn that there were huge gaps in funding for COPD research and awareness, given that it is the third leading cause of death in the US and the fourth worldwide. I became determined to do something about it. Fueled by my love of sports, Fantasy Sports 4 Life was born in January 2013. My Atlanta-based foundation seeks to use fantasy sports as innovative philanthropy in helping advocate awareness, fund research, and enable early detection for COPD. I’m on a mission to reduce those huge gaps through the power of fantasy sports.
Watch the full story behind my foundation here.