Golfers can help families of premature and critically ill newborns during the annual Ken Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament on Monday, May 16, at Bent Creek Golf Course in Jackson. Funds raised will benefit the Parents With Hope fund at Saint Francis Medical Center.
The birth of a baby is a time for great joy and expectation. When a child is born too soon, however, those hopes turn into fears. As parents of premature twins, Jason and Leigh Ann Siener of Paducah, Ky., experienced this emotional roller coaster firsthand. They also saw that in addition to worries about a baby’s health, many families face enormous financial and life pressures. Because of their experience, the Sieners created the Parents With Hope fund. It provides financial assistance to families of premature or critically ill newborns in the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Saint Francis. By supporting this vital work, you can help families in need, too.
Because Saint Francis’ Level III NICU is equipped to care for the smallest and most critically ill newborns, it serves families throughout the region. Many travel long distances and spend months away from home and work while a child receives care. Some are not able to see their babies often because they cannot afford gas or a hotel room. Parents With Hope provides financial assistance for transportation, housing and day care needs during a newborn’s stay.
Since its inception in 2008, the program has assisted more than 220 families in the region, offsetting nearly $40,000 of financial costs for gas and hotel rooms and providing more than 1,300 hotel room stays at no charge.
The Ken Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament has raised more than $170,000 for the Medical Center since its inception eight years ago. This year, The Friends of Saint Francis are excited about supporting this worthy cause with the Ken Hayden tournament. “We are honored to do our part in helping these families as they go through such a difficult time,” says Michele Litzelfelner, president of The Friends.
The four-person mixed scramble tournament features 18 holes of golf, lunch, and lots of fun and prizes, including a $10,000 cash prize for a hole-in-one. Early registration is encouraged, as the number of teams allowed is limited. The price is $125 per person or $440 per team (two men/two women). To register, visit www.foundation.sfmc.net and click on the Ken Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament graphic. Sponsorship opportunities also are available at levels from $100 for a golf cart sponsor to $1,250 for a corporate sponsor. Call Casey Hertenstein, Foundation development officer, at 573-331-5791 for more information.
The Friends assists Saint Francis Foundation in providing services and financial assistance to the Medical Center. Formally organized in 1975, The Friends offers unique fundraising events that have enabled it to donate more than $1.85 million in support of the Medical Center. The Friends Board is composed of people from the community and employees who are committed to serving the Medical Center in an active way.