Issue 39

August 5th, 2011 

This Newsletter sponsored by Golden Bear Challenge

Golden Bear Challenge  

 

The Golden Bear Challenge was inspired by the collaborative effort of many to raise awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. While providing clubs and courses around the country with a fun and innovative hole-in-one competition for their next tournament, each Golden Bear Challenge held will donate a portion of proceeds to the Nicklaus Children's Health Care Foundation.

No other hole-in-one program delivers the value or is as easy to use as The Golden Bear Challenge-with no minimum distances on the par 3s; a mulligan on the shortest par 3; and no hole witnesses required! Go to www.goldenbearchallenge.com

 

Natalie, Paula and Brittany set for Safeway Classic!

 

Caddy For A Cure is thrilled to be offering the chance of a golf lifetime to caddy for a day for three of the biggest names in women's golf. US Open Champion Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, and Kraft Nabisco winner "Bam Bam" Brittany Lincicome will be "caddying for a cure" just outside of Portland in North Plains, Oregon, in a few short weeks at the Safeway Classic presented by Coca Cola.

You will see golf up close and from inside the ropes and see how the best in the world hit some of the best shots on the planet at the famed Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. As you may remember, Pumpkin Ridge was the site of Tiger Woods' victory when he was still an amateur over Steve Scott. Auctions are live now and can be viewed at  
www.caddy4paula.com, www.caddy4natalie.com, and www.caddy4brit.com.   

 

Jason Bohn "caddies for a cure" @John Deere Classic

What happens when you take one of the coolest guys in the world of professional golf, a wounded warrior, five children recovering from cancer, and the great tournament site of the John Deere Classic? A day that no one involved will ever forget!!!

 

Jason Bohn recently became an instant fan-favorite of a bunch of people in Moline, Illinois when he treated everyone to a look at golf up close. 

 

A business owner in Moline has long been a fan and supporter of Caddy For A Cure and is also involved in "Tudi's Tribe", an organization which assists children as they go through the struggles of cancer. He had an idea of giving these young survivors a day, and what an idea it turned out to be. Jason Bohn could not have been more over the top sensational with everyone, as the pictures here show.

 

Only in the world of golf could you see such an incredible outpouring of compassion, caring, and plain old love for someone going through a tough time. The community embraced this effort and applauded often as everyone involved made sure the special guests enjoyed their special look at golf.

 

Having wounded warrior Sgt. Josh Kinser along made it that much more incredibly special.  With his experiences and his love for our country, there could not have  been a better soldier picked to be involved in this day.

                                                                                                                                               

No, some of them did not read putts, or give yardages, or even carry the bag. Here we were trying to do something nice for them, and guess who may have received the bigger reward? Us, indeed. Jason Bohn and caddy Billy Spencer are truly two of the most special people in the world of professional golf.  While they have not won a major yet, they are MAJOR winners in our books, and will forever be in the hearts of a wounded warrior and many families who are struggling with issues related to cancer.

 

 

Focus on Fanconi

Justin Barbier has passed away. You recently read about him in this section of our newsletter. We had the great privilege of getting to speak to him and of sharing a friendship and love for baseball. His LSU Tigers were everything to him. Caddy For A Cure was his friend, and he was ours. 

 

We are so devastated we cannot find words to say. Rather, please read his Mother Julie's touching eulogy given for our dear friend Justin Barbier:

 

I've had happy days in my life and I've had sad. Many of these centered on Justin. He made me a MOMMA, my first born. He made me a better person. He pushed me to the limits on those headstrong days that took him 2 hours to do 20 minutes of homework, or as he sat at the table refusing to swallow his food to SHOW me I couldn't make him eat that, or the nightly.....just one more story momma, pleeassse! He melted my heart with his soulful eyes, endearing smile and delightful laughter.

 

He made me PROUD by coming home from school in First grade saddened by a little girl that children laughed at. "She needs shoes without holes in them Momma, and a coat" he said. "I'm her friend and I want her to have more friends, she's so nice!" He was COMPASSION.

 

He made me COURAGEOUS when at the age of 16, he was told he had a life threatening illness by doctors, one that could keep him from reaching the age of 18. He chose not to believe them. He made me a BELIEVER.

 

He made he and I "NORMAL" when he moved in with Caleb and Cory while attending Nicholl's State and he lived his life as a normal college student should! Life was great, We WERE Normal. Thank you guys, I love You!

 

He made me UNEASY, when he took a trip to the beaches of Florida with April and the gang, and had a blast. It was the first time he ventured out without his momma to remind him he had medical issues he had to think about while he partied it up. We shared his medical secret with his best friends, who rose to the occasion in keeping him safe and normal while they had a blast, the pictures prove it! I'm so thankful to all of you!

 

He made me HUMBLE when he fought courageously through his Bone Marrow Transplants and he would lovingly say "I'm so glad my sister doesn't have to go through this... As the slide show reminds us, he loved Brittany. He wished for her presence in Minnesota with him often and she sat out a semester in January of 08 to be there with us. What a Blessing!

 

He made me NERVOUS, as his hips had collapsed and he wished to head to Oregon for three weeks for an FA meeting and to visit with friends living there. He came home renewed, energized and satisfied that even in his limited state, he was self sufficient, that he, an adult, had accomplished this. He lived a life's dream traveling also to California and kayaking and enjoying friends, although at the time he was worried about Kristen. He made me smile,  Kristen made him smile! He loved her!

 

He made me GRATEFUL, when he shared with me that his friends thought I was an awesome momma...and he agreed! I'm so thankful for all his friends! You are my Blessings and I love you all!

 

He made me SMILE when he always thought of others before himself. He told me often "momma, I'll be okay"

 

He made me LOVE, when he shamelessly hugged and told all he held dear "bye, I love you!" and I heard that often!

 

He made me SAD when doctors and nurses had to fight to find the right vein or perform a painful procedure and Justin would just shrug, smile and say "it's okay, I'm used to it" with that devilishly handsome smile he had.

 

He made me WISE, when he understood his dad wanted to be with us in Minnesota but had to painfully be thousands of miles away working to ensure that Justin received the best care he deserved. He looked forward to dad's visits and cherished our family being together again. Talks of sports, LSU and music instead of IV's, pills, and blood work brought memories of home.....and there was never a happier guy than Justin when the plane landed in Houma with loving family awaiting our arrival! As the plane descended, Justin looked out at the green landscape below and began to laugh. I looked out and we were amazed by the sight of thousands and thousands of what we call down in South Louisiana "crawfish holes!" Three hours earlier, our plane had taken off on a snowy runway in Minnesota and now we see something we normally take for granted as our first glimpse of Louisiana.  A plain old crawfish hole bringing  laughter to the two of us reminded us we were HOME, thanks to dad's employers furnishing a private jet. We were wiser to the saying "there's no place like home!"

 

He made me LAUGH when he needed to be weighed every Monday morning by the nurse to ensure he regained the weight lost in transplant. I found a pile of rocks in his room and he admitted that he would have them in his pocket and add one weekly to keep the nurse satisfied that he was gaining....even though he still looked thin. That made me laugh and then it made me angry!

 

I'm sure there are many, many more lessons "my boy" has taught me, but my mind isn't in a place to recall them at this moment....I'm sure they're all good ones.

 

JB is my payback, my investment, my pride, my heart, I've learned lessons of life and living. I only pray and hope that I can say "he WAS something like me and I do know I loved  my payback"...He was a hugh BLESSING in a small body. The many, many moments of life he crammed into 26 years is astounding!

 

So let's NOT cry because Justin's gone, let's SMILE because we KNEW Justin.

 

 

 

 

Roadie For A Cure names Shania Twain as 1st Artist

Caddy For A Cure is expanding.  Caddy For A Cure has been an enormous success, as has last year's expansion onto the LPGA, but when we hear of another tragic story of yet another Fanconi Anemia patient as told in the story above, we want to help more.

RFAC1

A few years back we had a "caddy," as is often the case, bring out a best pal and this friend just happened to work in the music world in Los Angeles. Being the avid golfer that he was, he totally understood the "coolness" of what was going on before his very eyes and asked "why don't we do this in music?" Being closet rockers, we could not agree more. The chance to go "inside the ropes" at a music concert to get to see all that goes on behind the scenes, the chance to meet the crew, to hear the sound checks, the lighting set up, stage, and the all the glory that goes into a music production, voila, Roadie For A Cure was born.

 

We are thrilled to announce that Shania Twain, the #1 Female Country Artist of all time, with over 80 million albums sold, will be the first artist of the "Roadie" experiences. She will be performing next year at Caears's Palace in Las Vegas, and some lucky winner with get to be a Roadie for a day, sponsored by Sharpie.  Stay tuned for more news about other prizes from our sponsors, and from Shania...who is "still the one." 

 

 

 

Greetings!

 

Denny WiselyBeing aligned with Birdies for the Brave has afforded us some incredible opportunities to meet what we know are the real heroes of our blessed country. These men and women have done so much, for so little, and would do it again and again in a heartbeat.

I recently had the chance to spend a day in San Diego at Del Mar Country Club with one of these true heroes at a wonderful function hosted by PGA Professional John Cochrane.

Obviously it was very nice to be able to play one of the premier clubs in the country in the San Diego perfect weather...but more importantly what struck me was the above picture of Admiral Denny Wisely saluting our flag when the colors were presented.

Could not help but stand in awe next to a man who has given his life to the service of safety and freedom of our country. To stand next to a Viet Nam war hero, a former Commander of the CV67 JFK, the former #1 "Boss" of the United States Navy Blue Angels, and to watch his firm salute for our great flag, was life changing. Even at his high rank in the service, his love of country was obvious beyond belief and utterly thrilling to watch.

When we have wounded warriors out to "caddy" during our program we have heard some incredible stories, too painful, too real, too horrifying for us to even comprehend. Our objective is to feebly say thank you in some small way and to give them a day of respite away from the thoughts forever etched in their memories. To be with one of these warriors "on the bag" is not only a golf experience you will never forget, but a life experience that will never be forgotten, either.

I cannot encourage you enough to come "caddy for a cure."


Sincerely,

 

Russ Holden PGA 

Caddy for a Cure Founder 

 

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