The Edie Hand Foundation's mission is to raise money and donate money to Alabama charities. The foundation started in memory of Edie's three Blackburn brothers who died young in tragic accidents. The hope of the foundation is to provide wonderful caregivers with funds to help raise a child, or to defeat an incurable disease, or to provide children with joy at Christmas. Our faith is that by opening up our hearts to people who need our help, we will therefore open the hearts of others and develop relationships of the heart to ease the hurt of people in need. Our charity is our love for our fellow human beings, who may be suffering from a broken home, a terrible disease, or any circumstance that may put them in a position to not be able to help themselves. Over the last five years Edie has expanded the foundation to help give tools to guide youth and women of all ages to find better tomorrows through educational workshops and media awareness so folks do not feel alone as they navigate from hard to beautiful situations.
The GRIT 101 Program Now Available
We’re excited to announce our program in two iterations. One for teens in High School and one program for Women, either college students and/or women in the community. We’re grateful for our sponsors who are helping to make these programs possible.
Upcoming GRIT:101 Programs will be offered at Cordova High School, Southminster Day School, Athens State College, Curry Middle and High Schools, Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex South Hall, Legacy Arena at BJCC, and Tuscaloosa schools. Town Square Media, Tuscaloosa, and the Alabama State Games are now partners and active in 12 middle and high school charter programs in Tuscaloosa.
Women from across Central & West Alabama gathered for an afternoon of inspiration, connection, and celebration during the Women’s Leadership Alliance Annual Celebration, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama earlier this month at Hotel Capstone. Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa’s very own Edie Hand served as the keynote speaker, bringing a wealth of knowledge, resilience stories, and a message of empowerment to the audience. The central theme of her address was centered on using your experiences to empower others.
The Edie Hand Foundation held its Grit:101 program in conjunction with Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa at the Alabama State Games. The program shared life skills to recognize students of character and to encourage students to improve their personal and educational prospects in the years ahead. Here are some photos from the 2025 Event. (click or tap images to enlarge)
In an effort to pay it forward and leave a legacy for community involvement, Edie founded the Edie Hand Foundation after the loss of her three young brothers and her own battles with cancer.
Today Edie’s initiatives have increased through her women of true grit series from books, television , podcast and radio medias to her Grit: 101 teen series for high school students to her continued grit: 101 women programs on colleges across the South East. Now her Women of True Grit educational arm extends to her documentary stories .
A primary focus of the foundation is to enhance educational opportunities for women and minorities and leverage the STEM programs which align with the goals of the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE program to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce.
The foundation-supported Women of True Grit program works to increase opportunities for diversity within entrepreneurship endeavors in all segments of the workforce. This program and its information have been previously held at Bevill Community College in Sumiton, AL, Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, FL, and the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario (Canada). These programs will be extended to more colleges throughout the year to create more of an educational impact.
Edie is also active in promoting the HealUnited program in Alabama schools to promote healthy eating and exercise so children develop good habits for the rest of their lives. In addition to the educational focus of the foundation, support is ongoing for a number of other organizations. View some of those charities here.
Edie Hand’s Women of True Grit publications are filled with life stories of women who have journeyed through good and bad times and experienced phenomenal success. These stories are moving examples of what persistence and faith can do to propel individuals to reach their full potential.
Dr. Devin Stephenson
President/CEO, Northwest Florida State College
The Edie Hand Foundation is a non-profit 501c3 foundation so that means contributions may be eligible for tax deductions. We invite you to make a donation to the Foundation to show your support for all the good work they do in our local community, around the country, and now around the world.
Terre Thomas a Director from St Jude Children’s Research Hospital works with Edie on many projects.
Edie with her niece Kayla Poss and her brother Terry Blackburn who was the influence for the book, “The Last Christmas Ride.”
Edie Hand Celebrity Golf Tournament
Mattie, Edie and Allie from a visit to Childrens Hospital
Edie Hand with Friends from St Jude Children’s Research Hospital and FedEx at the Golf Tournament in Memphis
Edie Hand visiting St. Jude Research Hospital. On her left is Dr. Z and on her right is Colleen
Edie Hand, Dale Smith-Thomas, and Miss Tennessee along with children from St Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Here are some of the beneficiaries of the Edie Hand Foundation. Click their logo to learn more about them. Edie and her foundation also promoted other causes on her RFD-TV/FamilyNet/Rural TV show Rx for Healthy Lifestyles.
