Nearly two years ago, Alexis Strauss had two choices. She could wallow in unspeakable grief or channel that emotion into something useful. When her dad, former St. Louis Post Dispatch sports columnist Joe Strauss, lost a battle with leukemia, Alexis decided to help spread awareness about the terrible disease that had stricken her family.
A lot of hard work and dedication will culminate on April 16, 2018, when the first Joe Strauss Memorial Golf Tournament is hosted at Westborough Country Club, which will benefit The Siteman Cancer Foundation, a place that played an integral part in the Strauss' life.
Strauss wanted to do something that could honor the hard-working nurses and doctors who helped her dad during his battle at the Siteman Cancer Center, while also providing an outlet of awareness for those currently fighting the disease and the people who may not know what they are encountering.
Picking a golf tourney was easy for Strauss.
"My dad always loved golf," she said. "He learned how to play golf when he was a kid, and it grew with him through the years. He was pretty good at it and had an amateur pass to play on major courses."
The sport also served as connective tissue at a young age between the father and daughter.
"He wanted me to play too, and bought me a set of clubs when I was 7 or 8 years old. And it wasn't easy, because he was the harshest critic, even with us. But it was something we did as a family, so when the idea of a fundraising event arose, picking golf was easy, because it was something my dad actually loved," added Strauss.
Taking the tournament from idea to reality wasn't easy, but with the help of people like St. Louis radio host Tim McKernan — whom Alexis describes as her O.G. second dad — and others like Melissa Marr and Post Dispatch columnist Ben Frederickson, the planning and resource-gathering process came together in good time.
Strauss is no stranger when it comes to blending hard work and passion. She is currently rocking 18 credit hours at Mizzou along with serving as a teacher's assistant and working a job while launching these important events. But she said seeing the fierce commitment and compassion shown by people in putting together the golf tournament makes it all worth it.
In the end, she is just hoping for a good crowd.
"I just hope people show up and support because there will be more to do than just play golf. There will be a silent auction and tons of other things for the people who want to be a part of a charitable cause."
The golf tournament is the second endeavor Strauss has been a part of this past year. Last August, the Cardinals and the Baseball Writers Association put together the second annual Join For Joe bone marrow drive at Busch Stadium, where names were added to the national registry, which helps people find a match for a bone marrow transplant.
The event was a hit and also allowed Strauss to connect with other families who battled the disease.
"This was the first year it became official. We doubled the amount in people who donated and got registered. We saw families and saw some success stories, which was very nice," said Strauss.
She hopes that each year the event at Busch becomes official and grows.
Alexis is the kind of woman who you are around for a few minutes and instantly feel her energy and passion. She knows exactly what she wants to do and has no rest in her. It takes a special kind of person to do all of this and find time to double-major in math and economics as well as a minor in journalism.
Strauss plans to blend those studies into a career one day.
"I want to eventually become a sports analyst, getting more into sabermetrics. I also have a passion for fiscal policy and the Federal Reserve."
If young men and women had half the drive and sage thinking process as Strauss, the world would function a lot better. She takes pride in being a self-proclaimed nerd.
"I can easily say I'm the only girl in my sorority who is an economics major, so that's pretty fun."
While she loves Mizzou, the college wasn't her first choice. She was almost set to roll tide.
"I was set on going to Alabama, but my dad fell out of remission, and I didn't want to live 13 hours away, so without even visiting the campus, I chose Missouri. He wasn't that happy, but he shared an equal annoyance about the two."
The golf event isn't the first time Strauss has worked with McKernan and the radio station. A few years ago, she had the opportunity to work at Inside STL as an intern, which connected her with several of her dad's friends and co-workers.
"I got to work with people I knew, but also build closer relationships."
Strauss hopes the golf tournament becomes an annual event because the success of that will only bring more revenue to Siteman.
"Hopefully, we can raise a lot of money, and use it as a learning experience. My mom and I have the utmost respect for the people at Siteman," she said. "We still talk to the nurses who treated my dad. They are the best people, and my dad's favorite nurse is a close friend."
How much does she care? When Joe passed away in December two years ago, Alexis and her mom asked people to hold onto the flowers, and send donations to Siteman Cancer Center instead.
While she hopes the event next year will grow into multiple annual events, Alexis is happy to have a place to start.
"All I can ask for is to carry on the awareness and give back to those who are going through what we went through, as well as connect with others we may not know about, " she added.
Alexis doesn't find herself to be that interesting, taking time at the end of our interview to remind people of that belief. But she is living proof that it's not the things that we say that mark our time on this rock to be sacred; it's the action we take in literally helping people come together in the face of a relentless disease.
All those hard lessons from Joe as a kid growing up have rubbed off on Alexis, pushing her to be as relentless as cancer itself. All her efforts come back to the times with her dad, even when he was intentionally trying to get under his daughter's skin. Easy or hard, memories never go away, leaving a mark on our present state and future plans. Those memories with her dad, along with the hundreds of columns left behind for Alexis to still read over, drive her today to do more, be more, and never stop working.
Alexis Strauss doesn't like when strangers call her strong, but the reality is there aren't enough like her around. It's not the rigorous school schedule or countless hours given to putting together charitable efforts; it's what she brings to the table every day as a working woman who wants to change the world for the better.
Her work isn't going unnoticed. A few weeks ago, on Facebook, McKernan alerted Strauss of a message he received. Someone had heard her on the show talking about the bone marrow awareness, and he sent off for a kit that very day. He wanted her to know that she was making a difference in her dad's memory. Just like that, there was an effect, backed by evidence.
More information and ticket sales will be coming on the event, but know this: on April 16, people have the chance to honor a man's memory while taking action that would affect many other's current struggles. There are some perks, such as the silent auction. Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, someone who was very fond of Joe, will be in attendance. People will laugh, share, and come together with one cause: helping each other. That's what the Joe Strauss Memorial Golf Tournament is all about.
Alexis Strauss may not think she is that interesting, but what she is doing is very, very interesting and important.
