the gift "emir"
TRANSCRIPT
CONVeNieNT CARechildren’s clinic opens in Naples
May 2011
H E L P I N G H A N D S , C A R I N G H E A R T S
www.LeeMeMoriaL.org/Foundation2
contents inside
LMHS Foundation oFFiCerS
Jeffrey L. green, Chairperson
James w. orr, Jr., M.d., Vice Chairperson
Charles K. idelson, Treasurer
elaine Hawkins, Secretary
John Blais
Carleton Case
Joseph r. Catti
Brent Crawford
amanda Cross
todd gates
Jonathan gopman
william n. Horowitz
gary L. israel
neil LeClair
Chip Lesch
nick naples
evelyn neill
Michael B. Peceri
david M. Platt
garrett reasoner
guy F. rhoades
alexander roulston
Madeleine taeni
Stuart Zaikov
Jim nathan
LMHS President
LMHS Foundation ProduCtion StaFF
Sharon Macdonald, Chief Foundation Officer
Ken Shoriak, System Director of Foundation Operations
Jeannie Cummings, Foundation Senior Director of Marketing
9800 S. HealthPark drive, Suite 210, Fort Myers, FL 33908(239) 343-6950 www.LeeMemorial.org/Foundation
the gift is a quarterly publication of the Lee Memorial Health System Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.For more information or to make a donation,
please call the Foundation office at (239) 343-6950.
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Hands-on learning
impact giving
Faces & Places
the last word
A new physician’s residency program is coming to Lee Memorial
Sanibel resident Amanda Cross is up to the chal-lenge of raising $10 million
A photo gallery of the big-hearted
Red Sox Chil-dren’s Hospital Classic hits a grand slam
CONVeNieNT CARechildren’s clinic opens in Naples
May 2011
H E L P I N G H A N D S , C A R I N G H E A R T S
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On the cover: Dr. Cayce Jehaimi, Pediatric Endocrinologist, examines a young patient at the new Collier County Children’s Hospital Clinic in Naples.
May 2011
advanced care
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A new imaging system at The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida is helping caregivers protect the vision of its smallest patients. As their fragile eyes develop, they are at risk for a disease called Retinopa-thy of Prematurity (ROP), the main cause of blindness in premature babies.
“ROP screening is an integral part of the care plan for premature babies,” said Viola E. Batdorf, a nurse at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The RetCam 3, purchased with funds raised at the 2010 Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest, is helping to give NICU babies the gift of better sight. During weekly eye exams, nurses use the machine to take digital video and still pictures of infants’ eyes from every angle. The p
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sightthe gift of
images show up in precise, basketball-sized detail on a screen, complementing doctors’ efforts to monitor patients’ eyes as they develop and treat problems as they arise. At a cost of $95,000, including special training for three NICU nurses, the RetCam is one of the tools bidders at the Wine Fest’s Fund-A-Cause auction bought to help preemies.
“These are always pieces of equipment that the very small, prematurely born infants need to protect their normal development, and without it often their sight or hearing or nervous sys-tem development is impaired,” said Dr. Stephen Machiz, founding chairman of the SWFL Wine & Food Fest. “Our focus has been to try and provide the technology, which is often beyond the reach of a facility that doesn’t get taxpayer support and depends on philanthropy to provide for the needs of our community.”
Babies born at 30 weeks or less are at risk for ROP, in which the blood vessels in their eyes don’t develop normally. Many premature babies have ROP to some degree, although most grow out of it without needing treatment. Laser surgery is one possible treatment for severe ROP, per-formed at The Children’s Hospital NICU. G
get involved learn more about the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida at www.leememorial.org
By evan williams
Marilyn Cimino, a supervisor at the Children’s Hospital, demonstrates the RetCam 3 on a medical mannequin.
Careclosertohome
Children’s Hospital opens facility
in naples
P roviding care close to home has been the mis-sion of The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida since its founding 17 years ago. As the only comprehensive children’s
healthcare facility between Tampa and Miami, the hospital provides a menu of pediatric specialties and care that allows parents to seek treatment options in their own backyard — without the added financial burden or hours-long commute to distant locations.
For Naples and Collier County children, who account for 25 percent of the hospital’s patients, the drive time is now even shorter. Since March 1, the new 7,000-square-foot Collier County Children’s Hospital Clinic has provided physician appointments for follow-up care, consultation and treat-ment in a location that’s even closer than Fort Myers — the Polaris Center on Immokalee Road.
During its first six weeks, the new facility recorded 239 patient visits, including 30 the first week.
“The clinic has been well received,” says Emad Salman, M.D., the medical director of The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. “Parents are happy because it’s so close to home. They don’t have to venture along U.S. 41 or Interstate 75, which during season can take a good 45 minutes from Naples. The clinic lets us send specialists out to treat children closer to home.”
“It’s one thing to drive for hospital admission; it’s another thing to drive for follow-up or when a situ-ation is not emergent,” adds Kathy Bridge-Liles, R.N., the hospital’s vice president for patient care. “Although special surgery is still performed at The Children’s Hospital, follow-up can be done at the clinic.”
Hospital doctors and private practice pediatric physicians offer
By nanci theoret
May 2011 5
Careclosertohome
weekly appointments for children with a variety of illness and disorders — from autism and cystic fibrosis to seizures and cancer. Specialties offered at the new clinic include endocrinol-ogy, neurology, nephrology, oncology, hematology, allergy and immunology, and orthopedics, with future plans to add pulmonology and cardiology care, according to Dr. Salman.
The concept of opening a satellite clinic in Collier County began two years ago, says Ms. Bridge-Liles, and involved strategic community partnerships with the Collier County medical community as well as fundraisers to purchase specialized equip-ment. Collier Health Services (CHS), which provides primary medical care for Collier’s
Above: Jeremiah Cha-cha Mathurin watches his reflection at the new center.
Opposite page: Avery Stewart swings at the center.
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“ if a chs physician thinks the child needs a specialist, we’re right there. ”
— Kathy bridge-liles, the hospital’s
vice president.
www.LeeMeMoriaL.org/Foundation6
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underserved pediatric population, has opened a new location in the Polaris Cen-ter, making the building a one-stop location for many pediatric medical needs.
“If a CHS physician thinks the child needs a specialist, we’re right there,” says Ms. Bridge-Liles.
Physicians at Naples Community Hospital are also working with The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida to determine additional needs and specialties, she says.
The clinic was designed with the child in mind. It looks nothing like the typical doctor’s office. The waiting room is more playroom; its chairs and sofas have three-toed wooden animals’ feet; a “tree” creeps up the wall, its branches and leaves snaking around the reception window; and sand tables, movies and toys offer a welcome distraction. A trio of wall-mounted birds flies toward the sky and clouds above the tree. The planked flooring resembles wood bleached from the sun.
Beyond the waiting room, the clinic boasts a large physical and occupational therapy rehab center, where video game systems help doctors evaluate dexterity and fine motor skills (ceiling-mounted braces can be employed to keep the child steady) and other specialized equipment seems more toy than test. A treehouse, donated by Ronald Mc-Donald House Charities of Southwest Florida, has a short staircase leading
up to a clear plastic-enclosed platform with holes a child may be asked to stick his or her hands through. Instead of traditional yardstick measurements, large blocks of color incorporated into the room’s carpeting denote specific distances for walking assessments.
The clinic’s seven exam rooms are also more family friendly. Benches, allowing a parent and child to cuddle, replace individual chairs. One also has a dolphin-shaped table donated by the Frances Pew Hayes Center for Lifelong Learning. Even door frames are painted in bright hues and hallway floors are embedded with random colored blocks and animal designs. Checkout is also child-friendly, with displays themed to an approaching holiday and a magnetic board with ani-mals the child can play with.
The clinic also offers basic laboratory services and a $50,000 audiology booth — the first of its kind in Southwest Florida — that helps physicians admin-ister very precise hearing tests.
The facility, says Dr. Salman, is a testament to The Children’s Hospital’s commitment to caring for the 250,000 children who live in Lee, Collier, Char-lotte, Hendry and Glades counties.
“The original Children’s Hospital is dedicated to caring for the needs of children in Southwest Florida,” he says. “This clinic continues our mission of serving the needs of the community as close to home as possible.” G
Since The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida announced plans to locate a specialty pediatric clinic in Naples, the Collier County community has rallied behind the cause, supporting fundraisers and donating their time and money to purchase child-sized medical equipment for the new facility. Two events – Rock-a-Bye-Collier and this year’s inaugural Third on Canvas – raised a collective $170,000 and involved donations from business leaders, restaurateurs, local artists and attendees.
Rock-a-Bye-Collier, offered in 2009
and 2010 at Waterside Shops, also gave participants the opportunity to purchase specific equipment – child-sized stethoscopes and blood-pressure cuffs and an audiology booth that’s the only one of its kind in Southwest Florida. Shops, mer-chants and restaurants also defrayed costs by donating beverages, food
and auction items. Forty artists participated in February’s
Third on Canvas, spending two days painting scenes throughout Old Naples. Their works were auctioned during a courtyard event on Third Street; local restaurants donated the food. The auc-tion plus an anonymous donation netted more than $70,000.
Look for both events to return next year: Third on Canvas is scheduled for Presidents Day weekend in 2012 and Rock-a-Bye-Collier could resume with a vengeance – locals with former rock career credentials are making big plans. G
new Clinic is a Labor of Community’s Love
Avery Stewart
“ the clinic has been well received. par-ents are happy because it’s so close to home. they don’t have to venture along U.s. 41 or inter-state 75, which during season can take a good 45 minutes from naples. ”
— emad salman, m.d., the medical director of the children’s hospital of southwest Fllorida.
May 2011 7
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get involved For information on the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida and ways to donate, call (239) 343-6950.
Dominick and Julian Stewart race bikes and play in the lobby of the new clinic in Collier County.
www.LeeMeMoriaL.org/Foundation8
coming to lee
phsysicians’ residency
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May 2011 9
orking with Florida state University and a $1 million state
grant, Lee Memorial Health Sys-tem (LMHS) is on its way to a
new physicians’ residency program that will give young doctors hands-
on experience and bring the benefits of a teaching hospital to Southwest Florida.
Scheduled to accept the first six students in 2013, the three-year residency program will focus on family prac-tice. Plans call for it to grow at the rate of six students a year, until reaching a full complement of 18 residents pur-suing their specialty with LMHS doctors and facilities.
A first for LMHS, the program will be funded by a $1 million state grant from Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, and operated in conjunction with Florida State University’s (FSU) medical school.
FSU was chosen for the partnership largely because the university’s medical school has done similar com-munity-based programs in six other cities around the state. “So the concept of partnering with a facility like us is not a new one to them,” said Dr. Scott Nygaard, chief medical officer of physican services, Lee Memo-rial Health System, who’s handling early organization of the program.
The school also has a strong commitment to prima-ry care, Nygaard said, and teaches a very team-based approach, increasingly important given the growing complexities of medicine and the numbers of spe-cialists that may be involved in a single case. “Their approach and their mission are a great fit with what we do here.”
Family practice was chosen as the specialty because there’s a growing need for such doctors in Southwest Florida and the state, accompanied by an increasing number of doctors choosing that as a specialty and requiring residency training slots.
LMHS, meanwhile, wanted to establish a residency program for several reasons, including the likelihood of attracting students who will stay in the area after com-pleting their study, and the energy and new approaches students can bring to patient care. “You get the intellec-tual stimulation of working closely with a university and some believe a residency program can improve the qual-ity of care,” Nygaard said. “And of course there’s a certain amount of prestige involved” in being a teaching hospital affiliated with a large university.
Other hospitals with residency programs have found that many patients want to be seen by a resident — an coming to lee
extra layer of care a patient is always told of, and can refuse. “But a lot of patients prefer it,” Nygaard said. “They feel like they are getting additional, up-to-date medical insight; that they’re getting care from two doctors instead of just one.” And because of the teaching aspect, the patient also may be more likely to receive more in-depth explanations of their health status and treatment program.
As a part of their application process to the National Residency Matching Program, residents may select the family practice program at LMHS.
Being the first choice of many students can be tough in a hospital’s early years of running a resi-dency program, Nygaard said, simply because the program may not be well known yet. But demand for residencies in family practice has seen a rise of 11 percent in recent years, he says, and that increased demand means LMHS’s new program won’t be short of applicants.
Professional and accrediting groups in medical education establish classes and other requirements, such as clinics, office hours and lectures. LMHS already has the capability to meet those educational demands, Nygaard said. A big part of the process, however, is developing agree-ments with physicians to teach and supervise residents. Those com-mitments must be worked out in advance
as part of organizing the residents’ curriculum during their time with LMHS.
The grant money, obtained in response to an application from Lee Memorial Health System Foun-dation, will help pay for related expenses such as office and exam room space, some equipment, and some salary needs, such as for a program director — to be hired soon by FSU — who will work closely with LMHS while overseeing the program on site. Most of the residents’ work will be based out of Lee Memorial Hospital and HealthPark Medical Center.
Working out all the details of this first-time program for LMHS will be a consuming mission, Nygaard said. But given the inestimable value delivered to both the medical profession and the community, “it’s a very exciting project for every-one who’s involved.” G
get involved To learn more about Lee Memorial Health System Foundation, go to www.leememorial.org/foundation or call (239) 343-6950.
By Betty parker
“ their approach and their mission are a great fit with what we do here.” — dr. scott nygaard, chief medical officer of physican services,
lmhs, about FsU.
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www.LeeMeMoriaL.org/Foundation10
giving’a ‘culture of
Amanda Cross
May 2011 11
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impact giving
anibel resident amanda cross believes her fellow islanders are up to the chal-lenge of raising $10 million to build America’s newest children’s hospital. As one of the founding members of Sanibel-Captiva Cares, which has already raised a cumulative $3.4 million to buy needed
equipment and supplies for The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, Ms. Cross knows the altruistic spirit of these islands.
A long-time benefactor of the hospital – Ms. Cross also serves on the Lee Memorial Health System Foundation Board of Trustees, of which she is a past chairperson, and is a member of the Children’s Hos-pital’s Advisory Board — she knows the importance of having a world-class facility so close to home. It builds a community just like good schools, services and cultural venues.
Part of her mission, she says, has been raising awareness for the hospital, which united the islands’ women 11 years ago to form Sanibel-Captiva Cares and raise money for needs as basic as preemie dia-pers and rocking chairs to equipment with more specific purposes, including a laparoscopic tower and a neonatal ambulance transport system to trans-port patients from Collier County to the Fort Myers campus. Its success — a record $470,000 was raised from the 2011 event — means reaching out to part-time residents, many — of them grandparents.
“Many of the people who come to Sanibel are retired and were very successful business people,” she says. “They’re high-profile people who come here because it’s low key. We remind them that Sanibel is their community, too. They may not have small children but they do have grandchildren. We educate them to understand just how important the children’s hospital is to the community.”
Much of Ms. Cross’s involvement with The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida has been behind the scenes — a position she prefers to public fanfare. She says she was raised in a philanthropic family, one that fostered a “culture of giving” and led to her serving as a member of Canterbury School Board of Trustees. She credits local business-man and philanthropist David Lucas, whom she met through Canterbury, as her mentor.
Finding a cause, she says, “is just one of those things where you end up in the right place at the right time. You don’t really seek out the cause, it finds you.”
That cause found Ms. Cross more than 11 years ago, when this close-knit island community rallied behind a family whose infant son was diagnosed with a rare cancer and was successfully treated at The Children’s Hospital. Without it, the child’s par-ents would have been forced to make long-distance commutes to Tampa or Miami.
Ms. Cross knows from personal experience the toll the commute can take on patient and parents. In 1994, her then-10-year-old daughter, Lindsay, was diagnosed with an electrical irregularity in her heart. Lindsay was flown to the children’s facility in Miami; Ms. Cross and her husband had to drive — a trip they made numerous times for follow-up care and annual pacemaker check-ups.
“My daughter was briefly at HealthPark; she always called it the ‘hotel hospital’ because it was so different than Miami,” says Ms. Cross.
Ms.Cross and Al Hanser, founder, presi-dent and CEO of Sanibel Capitiva Trust Company, are partnering for
the islands latest endeavor — a $10 million contribu-tion to the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida Capital Campaign.
The goal, announced during the 2011 Sanibel-Captiva Cares event, gives this tight-knit community naming rights to The Children’s Hospital’s new emergency department. Ms. Cross says $2 million has already been committed and she has faith the island campaign will reach its goal. Sanibel-Captiva Cares has pledged proceeds from the next four annual events, as well.
“People here understand the need for this new hospital and have the ability to give,” she says. “People are excited. This campaign will involve the entire community.” G
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Amanda Cross
“people are excit-ed. this campaign will involve the en-tire community. ”
— amanda cross
get involved To donate to the new Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida Capital Campaign, call (239) 343-6950 or go to www.leememorial.org/foundation/make-a-donation.asp.
www.LeeMeMoriaL.org/Foundation12
faces & places
The annual Boston Red Sox Chil-dren’s Hospital Celebrity Classic will help build the new Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
The Minnesota Twins and Lee Memorial Health System Foundation partnered to provide an afternoon of bowling in February to benefit Lee Memorial Health System’s Regional Cancer Center
1) Celebrity guests and Boston Red Sox stars came out in full force to help provide lifesaving care to the children in our community.2) Honorary chair of the event, pitcher Tim Wakefield, signs autographs before hitting the links at The Forest Country Club. 3) MVP (Most Valuable Patient), six-year old Joseph West, gets ready for the big day with his parents Edgar and Tiffany West and his sister Jacqueline.
4) From left, Don and Lynda Van Wyk, and Jure Cekuta pose with dinner hosts Cheryl and Dave Copham.
5) SWFL Wine & Food Fest trustees, sponsors, donors, dinner hosts, volunteers and supporters presented a $1.25 million check on April 13 to Jim Nathan and the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, for support of the hospital’s building campaign. $250,000 of the donation will be used to purchase five Giraffe bed incubators for the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
6) From left, Lori Hanno and Pat Gibbons celebrate a winning bid.
7) Minnesota Twins star closer Joe Nathan (second from left) poses with, from left, Chrissy Martin and Ashley and Josh Koza as they get set for a fun night of bowling in support of LMHS’s Regional Cancer Center.
8) Minnesota Twins 2010 AL Manager of the Year Ron Gardenhire (far left) came out to support the cause with his family and friends.
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Boston Red Sox Children’s Hospital Celebrity Classic at the Forest Country Club
Southwest Florida Wine & Food Fest
Minnesota Twins Bowling Classicp
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May 2011 13
faces & places
The annual Min-nesota Twins Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament raised more than $180,000 for Lee Memorial Health System’s Regional Cancer Center.
The Sanibel Captiva Cares fundraiser in March raised more than $470,000 for the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
This unique event, held on March 4 and 5, featured former top 10 men’s singles player and 1986 No. 23 ranked player in the world, Tim Wilkinson. More than $190,000 was raised to benefit the pediatric pharmacy at the new Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
The 13th annual Diamond Dinner with the Boston Red Sox was held in March at City of Palms Park. Outback Steak-house of Fort Myers served as major sponsor.
1) From left, Tommy Huether, J.D. Huether, Minnesota Twins Bench Coach Steve Liddle and Bubba Huether enjoy the dinner after a great day on the course at Fiddle-sticks Country Club.
2) From left, Minnesota Twins star catcher Joe Mauer gets ready for the day with the event’s lead sponsor Stan Dickman of Ultimate Sports Adventures and Phil Roof.
3) Co-chairs Linda Mondelli, Jeanine Allen-Bradford and Karen Hall with the 2011 Sanibel-Captiva Cares Committee.
4) Al Hanser of Sanibel Captiva Trust Compa-ny and Amanda Cross announced a $10 million fundraising goal for the islands to help build a new Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. This year’s event hit a record of more than $470,000 and a total of $2 million has already been raised for the children of our community.
5) From left: Mary Blackwood, Carol Markey, Tennis Pro Tim Wilkinson, Elisabeth Boyle and event Co-Chair Pat Valva
6) Heidi Watney of the New England Sports Network shares a laugh with Bos-ton Red Sox Manager Terry Francona as he answers a question from the crowd during the interactive panel discussion.
7) A young fan shares a smile with Boston Red Sox Shortstop Jed Lowrie while getting an autograph during the evening’s festivities.
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Minnesota Twins Celebrity Classic
Red Sox Diamond Dinner
Sanibel Captiva Cares Event
Bonita Bay Tennis Event
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www.LeeMeMoriaL.org/Foundation14
giving matters
Decreased deductions for charitable giving?
Proposed changes to federal tax codes that may limit item-ized tax deductions in the future may make giving in 2011 even more important to donors and charities. While the impact of proposed changes depends upon your individual tax rate and financial circumstances, it may make sense for you to make a charitable donation sooner rather than later.
Lee Memorial Health System Foundation would be happy to discuss how you can make a difference in the lives of many Southwest Florida residents through charitable donations. For information on the many ways you can support Lee Memorial Health System, please contact Linda Kelly at (239) 343-6064 or by e-mailing [email protected].
taking stock — or giving it
By ken shoriak, cfre
ou bought the stock 25 years ago For just $20 a share. Now, you sit back and smile as you review your investments and see it’s trading at $125.
Your situation has changed quite a bit since you bought that stock.
You’re enjoying retirement now and your kids are out of school and doing quite nicely on their own. Your home is paid for and you and your spouse live quite comfortably on your retire-ment income.
As you sit and ponder that investment made so long ago, you may want to consider using that stock to provide a life-saving hospital care by donating it to Lee Memo-rial Health Sys-tem Foundation.
Why?Because by
doing so you can have a tremendous positive impact on the lives of many people and help your tax situation.
Gifts of appreciated stock can be a most advanta-geous way of giving. If you’ve owned the stock for more than one year, you may deduct the full fair market value of the stock as a charitable contribu-tion.
That means you may be entitled to a deduction for full value of the stock, not just your original cost.
The resulting tax deduction may decrease your tax liability and help you bypass capital gains taxes — resulting in substantial savings for you. Be sure to consult your financial advisor, tax accountant or attorney to determine if making a gift of appreciated stock makes sense for your particular financial situ-ation.
Giving a gift of stock is easy and a great way to help your community. Contact Linda Kelly of Lee Memorial Health System Foundation at (239) 343-6064 or e-mail [email protected] for more information on how your stock gift can make a difference in the lives of others. G
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May 2011 15
mark your calendar
may 14, 2011Ryan McCleskey Redfish ChallengeA challenge for a great cause — to assist the children of Southwest Florida in their personal battles with cancer. Proceeds raised will benefit Barbara’s Friends — The Children’s Hospital Cancer Fund. The tourna-ment is held annually in honor of Ryan McCleskey, an avid fisherman who lost his battle with cancer . Call the Foundation at (239) 343-6950 for more information, or visit www.ryanmccleskeyredfishchallenge.com. Make it a great day on the water for the children of our community!
may 14, 20112nd Annual Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida Teddy Bear Build ProjectCalling all volunteers! Help us build 150 teddy bears for children in our community who are battling illnesses
or injuries. These bears are a won-derful bright spot during their hospital stay and will help to bring joy to Chil-dren’s Hos-pital patients throughout the year. This
heartwarming event includes door prizes and lunch for the volunteers. Check in is at 9:45 a.m., the teddy bear building will be held from 10 a.m. to noon and will be followed by a thank you luncheon from noon
to 2 p.m. To help deliver a smile to our brave pediatric patients, please call Eileen Williams at (239) 694-5396 or email [email protected] to register for this fun-filled
day.
may 21, 2011 Second Annual Alico Commercial Group “Scramble For Kids”Come out for a day of golf on beauti-ful and challenging Old Corkscrew golf course in Estero to support The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The NICU provides care for the highest risk and most fragile newborn infants in our community. We invite individual donors and busi-nesses to earmark and pledge their support to help the Children’s Hospital create new NICU suites and provide lifesaving care close to home for nearly 500 infants each year. The field is limited to 140 golfers, so get your entry in quickly. Secure your foursome today for a morning and af-ternoon of camaraderie, entertainment and outdoor fun benefiting new NICU suites at the Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Entry fee is $150 and includes golf, lunch, beverages and a gift bag. To register to play, or for more infor-mation, please call (239) 949-3098 or email [email protected].
July 9, 2011David Lee Root Jr. Memorial Fishing TournamentSign up now for the 9th Annual David Lee Root Jr. Memorial Fishing Tournament and catch, photo and release for a good cause. This event will be held at D&D Bait & Tackle in Matlacha. All proceeds will benefit the Trauma
Center at Lee Memorial Hospital. The Trauma Center serves all five South-west Florida counties and depends on philanthropic support to provide critical care to our community. Join us for this fun and competitive event in support of the lifesaving medical care at Lee Memorial Health System’s Trauma Center. Call Dave and Deb-bie Root at (239) 282-9122 or go to www.davidleerootmemorial.com for more information.
august 17, 2011Rumrunners Celebrity Chef Night 2011Join us at Rumrunners, Southwest Florida’s premier waterfront restaurant, and take in the tastes of fine cuisine prepared by celebrity chefs including Todd Johnson and Ralph Centalonza of Rumrunners, Norman Love of Norman Love Confections and other favorite local restaurants as we kick off the Cat Country 107.1 “Helping Kids with Cancer” Radiothon. This fun evening on the beautiful docks of Cape Harbour features live music and an outstanding silent auction with not-to-be missed trips, jewelry, fine dining experiences, boating excursions, sports memorabilia and more. Tickets are $125 before July 16 and $150 after that date. The evening includes the chef tasting stations, beverages and desserts. Call the Lee Memorial Health System Foundation office at (239) 343-6950 to be part of this truly spectacular evening.
or giving it
www.LeeMeMoriaL.org/Foundation16
the last word
red sox children’s hospital classic hits grand slam
Boston Red Sox pitching star Tim Wakefield served as Honorary Chair for the 2011 Boston Red Sox Children’s Hospital Celebrity Classic, held in February. Participants in the 18th annual Classic had the opportunity to meet some of their favorite Boston Red Sox stars while hitting the links at the beautiful Forest Country Club in Fort Myers.
Event proceeds are matched dollar-for-dollar each year by a generous benefactor and will support the creation of a new Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
This year’s Most Valuable Patient was 6-year-old hematology/oncology patient Joseph West of Naples, who was able to meet many of his favorite play-ers.
For more information about the 2012 event or for corporate sponsorship opportunities, e-mail [email protected] or call (239) 343-6950. G
More than $700,000 raised to help local
kids
Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield signs the jersey of Joseph West, this year’s Most Valuable Patient, at the 13th annual Boston Red Sox Diamond Dinner.