Corona Virus Quarantine Day #96: Callyn’s Course for Hope: June 24, 2020

Corona Virus Quarantine Day #96: June 24, 2020:

Today I signed up for one of my favorite events of the year…Callyn’s Course for Hope. It’s a golf tournament designed, ran and executed with extreme precision by one of my dear friends from college. Kim and Mike Stanley got news no parent ever wants to receive when their daughter Callyn was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer called retinoblastoma. Callyn who is a total badass, just like her mom, beat this horrible disease not only once, but twice.

This family has taken all of these struggles in stride and instead of wallowing or feeling sorry for themselves they sprung into action. Kim started by crusading for Braden’s Hope, a local organization that has raised millions of dollars to fund pediatric cancer research…the least funded of all types of cancers out there. In fact, less than 4% of all research dollars go to fight pediatric cancers. It’s disgusting (don’t get me started). After working with Braden’s Hope Kim decided she wanted to do something bigger, and thus the golf tournament was born.

Braden’s Hope was founded by another amazing woman named Deliece Hofen. This woman has been through a lot in her life but when her son Braden was diagnosed with an aggressive from of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma and was given less than 30% chance of survival. Three months after he finished his treatment he relapsed and Deliece found out she had breast cancer. When Braden relapsed he was given a 10% chance of survival because there was “no known cure.” So the two fought cancer together…and Deliece started researching and learned about how childhood cancer was grossly underfunded and that kids had far less options for treatment than she did in battling her own cancer.

Then her badassery kicked into full gear and she also sprung into action. She felt that something must be done to raise money for these kids who get this horrible disease and are killed or stuck with a lifetime of side effects by the very medicine the doctors are using to fight it. So she started Braden’s Hope so no other family would have to hear those words “no known cure” and the rest is, as they say, history.

Since it’s beginning Braden’s Hope has raised millions of dollars to fund research projects to fight these aggressive forms of childhood cancer and every year they raise more money.

So when it comes to badassery Kim Stanley and Deliece Hofen are front and center.

It gave me a deep sense of satisfaction to sign up for this golf tournament, as it did the past two years I signed up a team. In just two years this golf tournament has already raised over $200,000. Pretty amazing!

I don’t golf…but I share the sponsorship with someone who does. I just go set up tables, help organize the silent auction stuff and help wherever I can. Mostly, I just want to support my friends who I love like family. I also feel very passionately about fighting for children and Kim’s event helps me do two things that bring me great joy.

So I’m sharing this with you today because one, it’s a great source of joy in my life and two if you want to join or donate to this awesome event with awesome people and raise money for an awesome cause…I’d love to see you there!

You can read more about Braden’s Hope here:

https://www.bradenshope.org/wp/

You can learn more about the Stanley’s golf tournament click here:

https://www.bradenshope.org/wp/category/events/

Kim and I at the start of last years event. The angel wings represent a local child who lost their battle with cancer. It’s incredibly sad and humbling to put these out on the golf course each year.