For Care Ring Board Members Dean Cikins, Will Hadley, and Sherry Saxonhouse, MD, their service to the organization involves their children, too. In honor of Volunteer Month, we salute the “next generation” of Care Ring philanthropists!
Maya Cikins
Maya Cikins is the daughter of Andrea and Dean Cikins. Dean has served on the Care Ring Board since 2015 as a member and at-large representative.
A passion for service to others has spanned three generations in the Cikins family. Dean says, “My late father Warren Cikins dedicated his life to public service and taught me that ‘If you do good, you will do well.’ He was involved heavily in the civil rights movement in the 50's
and 60's, and our daughter has been exposed to his life while he was living and from my continued emphasis that giving back is key to living a good life.”
In 2016, as a sixth-grade student at Lake Norman Charter School, Maya was required to do a leadership give-back project. After talking with her father, she chose to support Care Ring’s Nurse-Family Partnership program. She organized and conducted a Bake Sale, which raised $600, and she collected $400 in supplies for “labor of love” bags filled with personal care items for new mothers. She then brought the supplies to the Care Ring office and worked alongside Nurse-Family Partnership staff to assemble the bags.
Maya greatly enjoyed her experience, stating upon seeing all the items she collected laid out, that “it was like Christmas morning for people I don’t even know!” The success of her project propelled her to participate in other service opportunities throughout her school career.
She has also completed bronze, silver and gold awards for Girl Scouts and looks forward to attending NC State and majoring in the Biochemistry program this Fall.
Wilson and Brower Hadley
Wilson and Brower Hadley are the sons of Cheryl and Will Hadley. Will has served on the Care Ring Board since 2007, as a member, past Board Chair, and currently as an at-large representative.
Wilson volunteered with Care Ring’s Nurse-Family Partnership team in July of 2021 during a March of Dimes diaper drive. He helped to pick up, transport, and unload hundreds of packs of donated diapers which were later distributed to new mothers in the program by our team of nurses.
Brower and his father assisted Care Ring at the OrthoCarolina 10K Classic in September of 2021. Care Ring is a partial beneficiary of the proceeds of that race, and provides support with volunteers on race day. Brower and Will organized finisher medals and handed them out to race participants as they crossed the finish line. This activity helped Brower to earn one of his Scout badges too.
Will had this to say about his sons: "Wilson and Brower have always cared about others and are always willing to help. Care Ring was the first organization where they volunteered, and they really enjoyed the experience. In addition to Care Ring, they also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. They believe in giving back where they can and to help people in need."
Sophia Saxonhouse
Sophia Saxonhouse is the daughter of Drs. Matthew and Sherry Saxonhouse. Sherry joined the Care Ring Board in 2021 and is also a volunteer provider with Physicians Reach Out.
Serving the community has been a staple of life for the Saxonhouse family. “As a physician and a health care provider, I have been privileged with the honor of giving to others. It’s been a way of life in our house. My daughter Sophia, who is now 17, has been volunteering and raising money for various charities since she was 7 years old. When she found out I was part of the incredible Care Ring board, she was immediately excited and wanted ways
to get involved. She first volunteered at one of their COVID-19 vaccination clinics. She then went on to raise money for the Nurse-Family Partnership program through a successful fundraiser at her school, Charlotte Country Day. She was so excited to use these funds to then purchase car seats, breast pumps, and pack-n-plays for the mothers and children in the program,” said Sherry.
Sophia had this to say about her service: “Volunteering and helping others makes me feel connected with my community.”
Happy Volunteer Month to these outstanding young people, and thank you to their parents for their service to Care Ring and raising the next generation of caring philanthropists!
- To learn more about Volunteer Program, visit our Volunteer page.
- To view volunteer projects you can do on your own, visit our Share Charlotte profile for those opportunities.