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Issue: #33                                                                                                         July 19th, 2010
ICC
THIS ISSUE SPONSORED BY INFINITY CONFERENCE CALL
The leader in Social Media
WE PROUDLY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PARTNERS

 
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100% of Charity Auction Sales
goes to:


20%
Fanconi Anemia Research Fund
2008 Caddy Man

20%
Wouned Warrior Project
WWP

20%
PGA TOUR Caddie Benevolent Fund

20%
PGA TOUR Player Charity


20%
PGA TOUR Host Site Charity

2008 Caddy Man
(click to go to main site)

National Spokesperson
&
Fanconi Anemia Patient
Christian Collins
&
Friends




Christian Zach
 
 


Christian Furyk 1
 



Christian Tiger
 



Phil with boys cropped
 



Anthony Kim w BOys

BIGGEST STARS IN GOLF TO
 "CADDY FOR A CURE"


 
With the midst of the golf season being upon us, Caddy For A Cure is preparing for some of the greatest experiences that golf has to offer. Coming up soon, the greatest names in the world of golf are ALL participating with Caddy For A Cure in the Fed Ex Cup Playoffs and beyond.




The list of players available is staggering with names like Westwood, Garcia, Poulter, Furyk, Harrington, Stricker, Glover, Scott, and more. This is a REAL testimony to golf itself, as well as the "Together, anything's possible" charitable statement of the PGA TOUR and their players. These guys are not only good, they care.



It is utterly amazing to us that when these great players are asked to participate, they eagerly agree, typically within seconds. It is simply a matter of figuring out which week works out best for their schedules.

And why not with their own charity of choice benefiting, as well as the other incredible causes that also benefit? Why would they not want to have a big fan have the excitement of seeing them demonstrate their precision, shot after shot, up close and personal.




These are players who have braved the toughest conditions that golf has to offer, and have won. They have beaten the strongest fields in history, and won. They know that there are people in life who are braving conditions much tougher than winning these tough golf tournaments, and they want to help any way they can. And they do, in a big way.



What's it like to caddy for a day with one of the world's best players? Have a close look at our testimonies from our past participants. "Greatest day of my golf life." "Most wonderful experience I have ever had." "Simply incredible." And on and on and on. This is one very cool way to see professional golf in a most unique way that is utterly over the top cool.



Remember, 100% of your check that goes for the day of a golf lifetime, goes to charity. Your tax deduction is 100% as allowed by law.

Looking for something for that golfer in your life that has everything? This is absolutely one of the best gift ideas for that person. How could it get any better than giving the gift in golf that really does keep on giving? What about a great customer or client gift that they will remember forever? Or a terrific employee incentive to hit a quota or a sales objective? This is simply one of the best ideas and concepts in the world of charitable golf giving.

Today, "caddy for a cure" in any way you can.....


 FOCUS ON FANCONI

Just north of Portland, Maine on beautiful Lake Sebago is a little slice of heaven aptly named Camp Sunshine. It is one of the greatest places we have ever seen, not only because of its beautiful setting, but because of the work that is done there. Camp Sunshine is a place that allows families suffering with different ailments to come for a week of respite, care, fun, and love. The people at Camp Sunshine have truly created a tiny piece of heaven in the woods of Lake Sebago and Caddy For A Cure was thrilled to be able to participate this year with some golf and some love.



Having nearly 60 families together to learn, to share, to meet, and to simply have some fun, experiencing the common bond of trials that each family shares, is extremely moving. There were tears, many hugs, and also much hope given to each family as they went through the weekend. It was incredibly awesome to meet personally the families that we support so diligently in the world of golf, many of whom have been featured in this very newsletter.


 
On the PGA and LPGA Tours we have met golf heroes like Nicklaus, Mickelson, Harrington, and Garcia. At Camp Sunshine, we were honored to meet the real heroes of life like DiMercurio, Boggs, Hanna, Lackey, and so many more. We know that there are many heroes around the world who could not make the trek to Camp Sunshine and many prayers were said for those not in attendance as well.



While there were the chilling hard facts of FA and its impact on the families it affects, not all was grim. Seeing successful transplanted patients enjoying life to the fullest with some of the brightest smiles on planet earth could make anyone smile, indeed. The costume party Saturday night gave everyone a chance to have some real fun and to let their hair "hang down" in their garb of choice.




Alicia Reed barely made it to Camp Sunshine. With issues regarding her transplant and the inevitable problems that come post transplant, Alicia was in intensive care just prior to the Camp. It was going to take a lot more than a few doctors to keep this incredible fireplug from attending! To hear something truly incredible, watch the 7 second video below of Alicia's amazing and tremendous vocal chords.

Thank you, Camp Sunshine, for allowing us to assist in some very small way. Our passion to "caddy for a cure" was even further deepened by this weekend with some of the families of FA. We care.




BUBBA WATSON DONATES TO CADDY FOR A CURE AFTER WIN IN HARTFORD

Caddy For A Cure is proud to announce the recent donation from PGA TOUR player and 2010 Travelers Championship winner, Bubba Watson.  Watson, largely known for being one of the longest ball strikers on the TOUR, is also one of the most generous and definitely a man of his word. Prevailing in a 2-hole play-off against 2010 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, Corey Pavin and 5-time PGA TOUR winner, Scott Verplank, Watson posted his first PGA TOUR victory. But rather than having someone go inside the ropes for the day as his caddie during his official practice or Pro am round, Watson put his own spin on participating by making a donation to Caddy For A Cure.

When Watson won on Sunday, he not only showed his will to win, he showed his integrity and heart. Watson, a devout Christian, praised the Lord, hugged his wife Angie and cried for his cancer-stricken father. Then, when asked what it meant to him to have his first TOUR win, he responded, "It's, well, overwhelming." He said his accomplishments on the golf course help him with charitable work off it. "I will always continue to be charitable...in fact I don't like people caddying for me, but I told Russ at Caddy For a Cure, that if I ever won on TOUR, I would announce on national television that I am donating $50,000 to CFAC." And now, over a year after Watson made this pledge, he has honored his word.

Caddy For A Cure offers golf fans opportunities with the best players in the world and Bubba definitely fits into that group. Although someone didn't get the opportunity to spend a day with Bubba inside the ropes as a caddie, everyone can get a feel for what a great guy he is, not only as a golfer, but through his integrity and commitment to help others. The timing of Bubba's donation is perfect for supporting research into Fanconi anemia and its high connection with cancer, particularly given the issues Bubba's family is facing with his father. Advances have been made in developing therapeutics for treating Fanconi anemia that show significant hope for potentially preventing cancer. We are truly grateful for the help from all players in supporting our cause, but Bubba Watson has taught us all a lesson in gratitude.


NATALIE GULBIS "CADDY'S FOR A CURE"
AT WEGMAN'S LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP



Dr. Jeff Yoder drove all the way to New York from Indiana to spend a day with one of the best of the best on the LPGA Tour, Natalie Gulbis, at the recent Wegman's LPGA Championship. While it rained shortly into the day, Jeff got to experience some terrific golf and fun with one tremendous young lady who has a big heart for charity.




While we enjoyed the time very much, we are looking forward to making up the date somewhere down the road with Natalie. She is a delightful person, a terrific golfer, and has a wonderful heart. Her long-time Tour caddie, Greg Sheridan, was also extremely accommodating and enjoyable as he entertained us with lots of stories while we waiting out the rain delays. We were especially thrilled to be able to meet so many of the LPGA Professionals while in Rochester and are looking forward to LPGA superstar Brittany Lincicome participating in September in Arkansas! More to come!



INFINITY CONFERENCE CALLS THE WAY TO GO



 
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In a rapidly changing world where "word of mouth has quickly become world of mouth" companies don't have a choice but to embrace Social Media as a way to to control their brand recognition and reach a global audience. Studies show that 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations whereas only 14% trust advertising. 34% of bloggers are posting opinions about products and brands. Do you like what they are saying about your brand? Social Media is not a fad, it's a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. And remember that we no longer search for news it finds us.
 
Simplicity is a vital part of the ICC operating philosophy and they offer solutions that best fit your company's virtual meeting needs 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They can brand, think outside the box and consult you on services that will help build your bottom line. Everyone at ICC is committed to exceeding your highest expectations. Contact ICC for a free consultation and find out how they can work with your company and get you on the right path to maximizing your visibility to the world! Call 1-888-ICC-24HR or [email protected]
I sure wish I had a dollar for each occasion when someone has "advised" Caddy For A Cure to drop Fanconi anemia research as a charity of position within our structure of gifting. We have heard it all about having to align with a "name" charity. How having a disease that affects more people would draw more people to ultimately participate with our charity.

Being associated with an orphan and rare disease indeed has its challenges getting support. And frankly we often cringe at the struggle, but we press on. While we are not a faith based charity, we are definitely based on faith and feel strongly that we are called to raise awareness of this devastating disease.

What we learned at Camp Sunshine confirmed our calling and minimal knowledge of years of living with this disease. We learned that an FA patient pre-transplant is 700 times more likely to achieve head and neck cancers than a non FA human. A post transplant FA patient is 3000 times more likely to acquire a head and neck cancer than a normal person. Because of these staggering statistics, FA has become a major focal point in the study of cancers, specifically the squamous cells in the saliva and how they mutate and grow.

Because the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund is so small, they simply cannot afford to do the major studies that need to occur to study these unique patterns of cancer. A small study initiated last year by FARF was so enlightening that it led to a $10.8M further study by the NIH. They believe, with this study, that they may have some MAJOR insight as to the possible cure for cancer.

Did that hit home for you? A cure for cancer? A cure? Which of you reading this has not been affected by cancer in some way in your life? I suspect none.

So, we "caddy for a cure" more, and more, and more. PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, Celebs, whatever we can do.

God bless these families suffering through this life with FA. And further, God bless these amazing doctors and science which may change the world of health forever as a result.


        Sincerely,

        Russ Holden PGA
            Caddy For A Cure Founder