Honoring Longtime Volunteers Caroline Larson and Steve Grogan

Caroline “Carrie” Larson, a 50-year volunteer, is a passionate advocate for equal access, and a key reason why Easterseals Massachusetts is committed to including people with disabilities among our staff and board members.

Carrie’s involvement began in 1965, when she earned a Girl Scout badge by volunteering for our swim program, which she continued for 35 years. In 1972, she was appointed as the first-ever youth member of the Easterseals Massachusetts board. In fact, this volunteer experience as a teenager led to her career as a pediatric occupational therapist.

In addition, Carrie has been a dedicated volunteer and advocate for our Youth Leadership Network since its inception. She was named the national Easterseals Volunteer of the Year in 2005, and she was recently elected as an honorary lifetime board member – only the fourth person in our 71-year history to receive this honor.

For 40 years, Easterseals has been privileged to count on New England Patriots Hall of Famer Steve Grogan.

Steve’s involvement in Easterseals actually began the year before he joined the Patriots, when he was a telethon chair as a Kansas State University quarterback in 1975. When he led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl appearance in 1986, Easterseals honored Steve at a dinner that raised more than $200,000 and remains our largest event with nearly 1,200 attendees.

After retiring from football following a 16-year career in 1990, Steve joined our board and helped launch and lead the Easterseals 24-Hour Relay, which has raised more than $2 million for our assistive technology program. Today, he is the chair of Walk With Me and runs Grogan Marciano Sporting Goods in Mansfield.