When someone comes face to face with a battle against cancer, the journey is one met not only with the highs and lows of hopeful treatments but also stress from the amount of bills from everyday life and treatment. These costly challenges were experienced firsthand by Bret and Kandace Saberhagen, leading them to found their nonprofit, SabesWings.
During Kandace’s treatment for breast cancer, while there were many therapies available with promising results, they all came at a high cost that insurance didn’t cover. This realization spurred the Saberhagens to look into the damaging effects of medical debt, known in the medical community as Medical Financial Toxicity (MFT). As a result, the Saberhagens founded SabesWings and ever since, they have been dedicated to providing financial support to cancer patients.
SabesWings Executive Director Candace Oestreich shared with us that “since 2021, we have seen an increase in individuals and families requesting grant assistance. We have helped make their journey less worrisome by providing financial assistance during their greatest time of need.”
For 18 years, Bret was a Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher playing primarily for the Kansas City Royals, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, and Boston Red Sox in the 1980s and ’90s. In 1985, he was named World Series Most Valuable Player. Since wrapping up his MLB career, Bret has built a life in Paso Robles, the home base for SabesWings.
Over 48 percent of SabesWings funding goes towards housing costs, and another 40 percent goes towards medical expenses for families facing cancer on the Central Coast. Since 2021, they have helped over 100 families on the Central Coast and now have been able to grow and help families in 18 states.
“We help keep our local families in their homes, their lights on, and help maintain the treatment they need by paying the bill source directly,” added Candace.
To determine who they are able to help financially, SabesWings works closely with social workers and patient navigators throughout our county to help identify the needs of families facing medical financial toxicity. If an applicant qualifies for funding, SabesWings will help lift the need. This is determined through an application process, review of bills, income verification and applicant interviews.
This October, SabesWings will be hosting their biggest fundraiser of the year, their 4th Annual Strike Out MFT event. The Strike Out event has consistently raised hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to support cancer patients. The weekend will include a Gala on October 5 at Rava Wines, followed by a golf tournament on October 6 at the Hunter Ranch Golf Course.
Each year during the Gala, SabesWings recognizes individuals whose contributions have impacted the lives of cancer patients. Past recipients include NFL Pro-Bowler and Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, Toby Keith, and West Coast President of Republic National Distributing Company Jay Johnson.
This year, Mark will be presenting Paso Robles’s own Chad Rava with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Chad is the owner of Rava Wines, a farmer, a winemaker, a former pro-rodeo calf roper, and a two-time cancer survivor of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“Chad Rava embodies the true spirit of the SabesWings Lifetime Achievement Award,” says Candace. “His unwavering commitment to our community, tireless efforts to assist those in need, and personal resilience in the face of cancer inspire us all. Beyond his public contributions, Chad’s roles as a loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend highlight his exceptional character.”
SabesWings was developed with the patient in mind, striving to make treatment available to anyone who needs it.
Candace says, “No organization can do it all, but with the support of our leading partners and attendees, we can make a significant impact. SabesWings allows these donations to make a real difference in the lives of cancer patients in financial need. Donations go directly to the need, not the research. Moreover, these donations allow all to provide hope during a time of crisis.”
Learn more about SabesWings at sabeswings.org
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