MSU Pitcher Dzierwa and Charitable Gift America Team Up to Support Lapeer Boy Fighting Cancer
Dzierwa will donate for every strikeout to ‘Caught Looking for Luca’ fund
EAST LANSING, Mich.—(March 5, 2025)—Michigan State University lefthander Joseph Dzierwa is one of the nation’s top strikeout artists–and this year, every one of his K’s will be extra special, as they will benefit Charitable Gift America’s “Caught Looking for Luca” fund, supporting a young boy battling B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Dzierwa, a Charitable Gift America NIL partner, today announced that he will make a donation for every strikeout he racks up this season toward the care of Luca Wright, a 6-year-old from Lapeer, Mich. Luca was “recruited” to the MSU baseball team this year through Team IMPACT, which matches children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, creating a long-term, life-changing experience for everyone involved.
“Luca is a true inspiration to me and to the entire Spartan team,” Dzierwa said. “Anything that we can do to put a smile on his face and be there for him during this journey—we are all in. He’s a great kid, and we are proud to be in his corner.”
Dr. Thomas Dieters, board president of Charitable Gift America, said that CGA will be facilitating donors who wish to join Joseph in supporting Luca’s care through the CGA website. Baseball fans will have the option to choose a set amount per strikeout to be calculated at the end of the season, or a one-time donation. Charitable Gift America has pledged to match all contributions to the fund up to $10,000.
“Heading into our fourth academic year of writing NIL contracts as MSU’s original and most trusted NIL fund, the decision to offer the match was an easy one when one of our partners, like Joseph, shows this level of maturity and commitment,” Dieters said. “Supporting Luca in this way was entirely Joesph’s idea, and we couldn’t be prouder of him. All of our NIL contracts require the student to give 5% of their payments to a charity of their choice. Joseph is obviously taking this experience to the next level. One of our goals in the NIL space, in addition to promoting our philanthropic services, is to create a philanthropic ripple effect around the world through these fantastic students. With literally hundreds of MSU students under contract these past three years, that goal has exceeded our expectations.”
Luca lives in Lapeer with his parents Lacey and Larry, and his two sisters Nova and Sola. He loves baseball, Spiderman, playing Mario games on his Nintendo Switch, card games, music, and nachos.
"As a mom, I am so proud of Joseph and the entire MSU baseball team—Coach Boss sure does have some special young men on his team,” Lacey Wright said. “This is such a beautiful way to help support our boy and our family. We are continually amazed at the love and generosity of so many people who hear of Luca's story. Luca absolutely loves being a member of the MSU baseball squad and we feel blessed to be part of such an amazing community. We can't say thank you enough for the joy you have brought and continue to bring to our boy!"
Anyone wishing to learn more, or to donate, can visit cgaathletics.org/caught-looking-for-luca.
Charitable Gift America has provided NIL contracts with charitable giving requirements to Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, Horizon League, MAC, AAC, and Southern Conference schools in both men’s and women’s sports. As part of their NIL contracts, athletes are required to give five percent of their earnings to a charitable organization of their choice. More than 500 charities worldwide are already benefiting from CGA’s unique approach to NIL contracts, including St. Jude Children’s Hospital, Plan International, Place of Hope, and the Global Sanctuary for Elephants.
CGA is the only organization in the country that provides opportunities for international athletes to enter into NIL contracts. There are currently 75 international students benefiting from CGA’s leadership in this area.
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About Charitable Gift America
Charitable Gift America was established in 2011 and currently supports hundreds of charitable organizations and individual philanthropists around the country. The organization is the nation’s leader in split interest charitable income plans featuring both fixed and variable income. Charitable Gift America’s sophisticated model gives donors the ability to give cash, publicly traded stock, real estate and many other hard to value assets. These contributions are designated for any charitable organization the donor chooses. A completely pro bono board of directors with more than 100 years of non-profit experience is invaluable to organizations that choose to be a partner. We look forward to empowering all student athletes in their support of their philanthropic causes.
Charitable Gift America’s board is led by Dr. Thomas Dieters, who has served as the Associate Director of Planned Giving at MSU prior to founding Charitable Gift America, and won four varsity letters in baseball as a Spartan.
