Donna Saurage

Donna Saurage has a long legacy of supporting the Baton Rouge community through her philanthropic work and service to dozens of organizations over the past 55 years.

She currently serves as a Board Member of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Foundation, New Schools for Baton Rouge (NSBR) and Public Affairs Research Council (PAR). She is also a Trustee of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, the Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation, and the First Presbyterian Church Foundation.

Donna serves on the board of family-owned 102-year-old Community Coffee Company and is the Manager of CCC Holding, L.L.C.

Her long legacy of service all started with her high school sweetheart, her husband Norman, who encouraged her to give back to the community and represent the Saurage family in a community that had given so much to their family business, Community Coffee.

It was a long way from where she grew up. Born in 1939 in a shotgun house in Oklahoma, she moved often as a child. As she had no siblings, she knew she wanted a large family. She got her wish, blessed with four children, 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Serving on the Cancer Center and Foundation boards has been especially dear to her heart. She experienced the pain of losing her mother to cancer, and that pain motivated her lifelong support for an organization devoted to improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer. She has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors for both Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Foundation, as well as the organization’s Joint Development Committee. As a Rathbone Society member and Lipsey Legacy Society member, she has made a tremendous impact on the Cancer Center today and will leave a lasting legacy on the future of cancer care.

Her complete confidence that the patient is always at the heart of everything Mary Bird Perkins does has motivated her longtime support of the Cancer Center.

My Mary Bird Perkins Story

What makes Mary Bird Perkins the leading cancer care organization?
At Mary Bird Perkins, every patient receives the very best possible care, no matter their station in life or their ability to pay. The Cancer Center provides the same leading-edge care to all who need it.

Why do you support Mary Bird Perkins?
Even though a cancer diagnosis can be an incredibly difficult experience, patients are confident when they go to Mary Bird Perkins for treatment. They understand from the very beginning that they will receive a level of cancer care and support that is unparalleled.

What motivated you to accept the invitation to serve on the MBPCF Board of Directors?
My experiences serving on boards have shown me that effective leadership and good board governance are essential to an organization’s ability to serve its mission. Mary Bird Perkins is exceptional both in terms of its strong, visionary leadership and its highly accomplished and effective board. I was honored to join such as strong organization with a mission that touches families across our community.

Why is a gift to the Foundation’s endowment important?
Through improving health outcomes, we can make a real difference in the lives of the people in this community and beyond. By supporting the endowment, we can help ensure that everyone has access to the highest possible quality cancer care and create a legacy of support that will endure for generations to come.

If someone asked you why he/she should make a gift to Mary Bird Perkins, what would you say?
Supporting Mary Bird Perkins through philanthropic giving ensures that the Cancer Center will be positioned to provide the most advanced, comprehensive cancer care for our community. It is a special gift to help those who hear those words “You have cancer” and to support the vital resources patients need to fight this disease.

What is your vision for Mary Bird Perkins, and how community support and philanthropy can drive that vision?
When I began serving on the board, we were a small radiation center with a vision, and I’ve witnessed firsthand how we have expanded high-quality cancer care to other communities, other parishes and even other states. I am confident we will continue to build on that legacy, and philanthropy is essential to making that happen.