WASHINGTON, DC – When speaking of golfers doing charitable works, golf writer Rom Sirak once said that, “Golf can’t make a difference, but golfers can.” He’s right, but the converse is true as well. At times one golfer may not be able to do a lot to help those in need, but many together can make all the difference.
Cut to this coming June 4th, and golfers from across the country will gather at Stonewall Golf Club on the idyllic shores of Lake Manassas, Virginia for the St. Jude Open, a tournament raising money for children’s medical research. From its humble beginnings decades ago, the tournament has raised over $2.3 million and helped countless children and their families as they battle bravely against a variety of illnesses.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital was founded in 1962 by the late entertainer Danny Thomas. St. Jude is the first institution established for the sole purpose of conducting basic and clinical research into catastrophic childhood diseases, mainly cancer. St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and around the world. On average, 7,800 active patients visit the hospital each year. The hospital freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude treats children without regard to race, religion, creed or ability to pay. No family ever pays St. Jude for anything.
When the hospital opened in 1962, children diagnosed with cancer faced a virtual death sentence. Only two out of every 10 children diagnosed would survive the disease. Yet today, St. Jude has helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancers to 80 percent.
Think about that for a moment. Is there any greater sadness than a parent burying their child? Because of people like you, who give generously to this noble cause, four times as many families have been spared that agony. Whether it’s pediatric cancer, sickle cell or other childhood illnesses, St. Jude leads the way in researching and discovering effective treatments that save young lives and keep families together. Your contribution will give some child a chance, and help prevent unfathomable heartache and loss.
There are many levels of contribution and sponsorship for the tournament, from USD 1,000 to USD 25,000, and even thought we are we are less than three weeks from the event, there is still room in the tournament to play or sponsor at many levels. Sponsorship packets are available on the St. Jude Open website or just email me and I’ll send one to you, along with contact info for the tournament coordinators.
St. Jude: they know that it’s not what you do that makes you great, but what you do for others.
For more information, contact Brenna O’Malley, 4600 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 102, Arlington, VA, 22203, brenna.omalley@stjude.org, (703) 351-5171, or by fax at (703) 469-1976, or call 2012 tournament director David Black at (703) 754-0100.
