Two events at Lexington Country Club in February raised $117,000 for Barbara’s Friends – Golisano Children’s Hospital’s cancer fund through the Lee Health Foundation.
More than 150 golfers joined the 21st annual golf outing on Feb. 25, which included a lemonade stand run by pediatric cancer patient Logan Stryker and his brother, Griffin, along with survivor Owen Hart, which raised more than $1,100 of the $117,000 total raised through the silent auction, golf tournament and concert.
Added to the event this year was “Windy City Boogie Woogie,” a sold-out Chicago-themed event with Chicago hot dogs, pizza, food stations and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office ice cream truck. Howl at the Moon Dueling Pianos entertained more than 220 guests Saturday night, with all tips and song requests donated to Barbara’s Friends, as well as proceeds of an online silent auction that featured experiences, golf opportunities and more.
Sponsors of the event included First Horizon Bank, Ryan Petroleum, Storm Smart, Hank and Kim Tritz, Randy and Roxie Kroese, Matt Finn Premiere Florida Realty, Lighthouse Waterfront Restaurant, Bimini Bait Shack, Oakes Farm and Sysco. Hole in One Sponsors included Sam Galloway Ford, Gator Golf Cars, Jim and Pat Derck and Jim and Pat Murray. Jack and Julie Berg chaired both the concert and golf tournament along with a committee and club leadership.
Each year, funds from Barbara’s Friends help families whose children are fighting cancer by providing not only for medical equipment and needs at the hospital but assisting with emergency family needs such as providing gas for daily treatments, paying for medications when insurance will not cover at-home chemo or pain relief drugs, or purchasing meals so parents can stay by their children during treatment. Lexington County Club also helped to establish the Barbara’s Friends college scholarships, so that survivors can pursue bright futures. Part of the funds raised from this event every year benefit the scholarship program.
Donations also help fund medical advances in technology and care, including the addition of pediatric neurosurgical services at Golisano and the first-ever total immersion chemotherapy room at the Golisano Children’s Hospital Naples pediatric hematology and oncology clinic.
Thanks to the generous Southwest Florida community, Barbara’s Friends has a 29-year history of helping kids with cancer and life-threatening blood disorders. To date, Barbara’s Friends has cared for more than 10,000 local children.
Barbara’s Friends support is needed all year. Donors can continue to support Barbara’s Fiends at BarbarasFriends.org.
About Barbara’s Friends – Helping Kids with Cancer at Golisano Children’s Hospital
Established in 1995, Barbara’s Friends provides equipment, staffing and services to support lifesaving cancer care for children from across Southwest Florida at Golisano Children’s Hospital. The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Program is the only program of its kind in Southwest Florida and has served over 10,000 patients since opening. No child is denied treatment or turned away as a result of their family’s inability to pay for care. For more information about the Barbara’s Friends fund and supporting child patients in your community, please call Lee Health Foundation at (239) 343-6950 or visit BarbarasFriends.org.
About Golisano Children’s Hospital
Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is nationally recognized for the quality care of pediatric patients. Established in 1994, Golisano is the only recognized children’s hospital in Southwest Florida. Ranked a U.S. News Top 100 Hospital for Pediatric Cancer, Pediatric Endocrinology, Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Nephrology, and Pediatric Urology in 2023, as well as a 2022 Leapfrog Top Children’s Hospital, Golisano Children’s Hospital serves more than 45,000 patients every year in relation to more than 30 specialty pediatric services such as cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, orthopedics and more. Lee Health opened the current hospital building in May 2017 which offers 135-beds and includes comprehensive pediatric services such as a 24-hour pediatric emergency department, hematology-oncology unit, Regional Perinatal Intensive Care Center, and Level II and Level III NICU with 70 private rooms. For more information, visit GolisanoChildrensSWFL.org.
Media Contacts:
Tiffany Whitaker Tucker, APR, CPRC, Lee Health Foundation, Tiffany.Whitaker@LeeHealth.org, 239-343-6105 or 239-671-0724 (cell)
