By ALAN HOSKINS
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- A rambunctious red-headed 5-year-old girl from Bonner Springs will be the benefactor of the second annual Helpful Holes Fore Health Golf Tournament at Dub Dread Golf Club Saturday, July 20.
In addition to a four-person golf “scramble,” there will be a blood drive and breakfast at the Bonner Springs Fire Station to assist the Helpful Hands Charity in raising funds for the American Cancer Society and Haley Bernard, the 5-year-old who is being treated for JMML, a rare form of leukemia which requires a bone marrow transplant.
Helpful Hands Charity was formed to raise charitable funds for individuals who face unexpected or overwhelming medical expenses and costs.
Haley was diagnosed with JMML after her left foot began swelling Sept. 25, 2012. While in the process of her diagnosis, Haley’s mother was nine months pregnant with her baby sister. “
We had heard about cord blood stem cells used for transplant but with only a one and four chance of a match,” said Haley’s mother.
Lyndsley Bernard. Miraculously, blood collected from the sister’s cord blood was a 10-point match making the new baby sister a perfect candidate for the stem cell transplant.
Chemotherapy was started Dec. 26 to “kill” diseased bone marrow and on Jan. 4, she received a bone marrow transplant. Now cancer free, she is being closely monitored and will continue to be closely monitored due to the possibility of a recurrence of the JMML type of leukemia.
There will be a 1 p.m. shotgun start. Cost of the tournament is $85 per player and includes green fees, golf cart, dinner and other amenities. Dinner only tickets are also available for $20 and various sponsorships are available including hole ($100) and beverage cart ($150) sponsorships and team sponsorships of platinum ($1,000), gold ($800) and silver ($400).
The blood drive will be held from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and breakfast from 7-11 a.m., both at the Bonner Springs Fire Station at 13001 Metropolitan.
Deadline for registration is July 12. Persons can sign up by e-mail at helpfulholesforehealth@gmail.com; by phone to Dub’s Dread at 913-721-1333; or in person at Dub’s Dread Golf Club at 12601 Hollingsworth Road. Checks should be made out to Helpful Hands.