BALTIMORE, MD – The Marathon of Miracles’ program Golf to End Cancer held its premier fundraiser, The 2nd Annual Golf To End Cancer VIP Outing, this past weekend at Caves Valley Golf Club outside of Baltimore. The two-day event included a golf outing and a Miracle Worker Awards Dinner.
“We are very pleased with the event. We were able to reconnect with supporters and make some new friends as well. We all have the same goal: to bring wellness and cancer prevention education to the golf industry and to help end cancer,” said A.J. Ali, co-founder of Marathon of Miracles (MOM).
The Miracle Worker Awards Dinner was held on the first night. The sold-out dinner included an inspiring talk by Andre Collins, former Redskins NFL player. Collins currently serves as Director of Retired Players for the National Football League Players Association, where he works to ensure retirees make successful post-football transitions. Collins, who has lost two sisters to cancer, announced that the group will align with Marathon of Miracles on future projects.
Owners of the largest health club chain in Maryland, Victor and Lynne Brick, were named Miracle Worker Award Honorees by the Marathon of Miracles (MOM) wellness and cancer prevention nonprofit. The Miracle Worker Award is the highest honor given to individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to help in extraordinary ways with cancer treatment, prevention, or caregiving.
Wendell Haskins received a top award, Golf to End Cancer Ambassador of the Year, for his work with the group. Haskins is the designer/producer for the Original Golf Tee Inc; and has lost his mother to cancer and more recently his sister is a cancer survivor.
An auction was also held during the dinner. “The majority of our funds were raised during the auction,” stated Ali. “Along with the putting contest prior to dinner, it’s one of the most exciting parts of our two-day event.”
The second day of the VIP Outing began with breakfast followed by a golf challenge. Instead of the golf scramble format, this challenge was a “best-ball event” where golfers play their own ball.
“Caves Valley is a premier private golf club with excellent caddies and we wanted our golf challenge to reflect this fact. We wanted something different so we chose the best ball format over the golf scramble used at most fundraisers,” said Ali.
Caves Valley Golf Club is an exquisite club located in Owings Mills, Maryland, just north of Baltimore. Designed by nationally acclaimed golf course architect Tom Fazio, the privately-owned course is nestled upon nine hundred sixty-two acres of rolling hills, pastures, woods, and wetlands.
“Once again the management and staff led by Dennis Satyshur at Caves Valley were exceptional hosts,” said Ali. “The level of hospitality went above and beyond, and we look forward to bringing our event to the site next year.”
“A few Caves Valley Golf Club members were in attendance and they had a great time, and were very supportive, so we hope to grow the relationship with the club. Caves Valley carries our MOM all-natural snacks for their members to enjoy throughout the golf season,” stated Ali.
“I would like to give a very special thank you to our member hosts at Caves Valley Golf Club, Dan White, and Bill Jews,” ended Ali.
Sponsors of the event included Tom & Joan Smyth, Smyth Jewelers, Century Engineering, Brick Bodies, Bobby Jones Golf, Bradford Portraits, Ray Daue, Nike Golf, Hershey Resort, Graphic Press, CO2 Productions, The W.I.N. Card Network, Stan Sersen, Cintas, VersaTech, Avid Golfer/Swedge!, The Shannon Family Foundation, Envision Health, Robbie’s First Base (stars of ABC TV’s Ball Boys), NFL Player’s Association, Mano Swartz, Sweet Wood Golf Company, French Lick Resort, Golf Life Marketing, Genesis Golf Trips, Inn at Pocono Manor, Wonderland Publications, artist Calvin Coleman, Kevin Allen & Impact Images, Sharp Cellars, SCNS Sports Foods, Maji Mats, The Fiorelli Foundation, Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Miessence, and others.
About Marathon of Miracles. Marathon of Miracles (MOM) is a 6-year-old nonprofit which focuses on wellness and cancer prevention; and was founded by writer, producer and TV Host A.J. Ali and his wife Jane, a breast cancer survivor. The two hope to promote overall wellness and cancer prevention to business and community leaders, who can in turn reach the masses. Over the years, MOM has grown into several outreach programs including Wellness Centers, Community Wellness Gardens a line of MOM All-Natural Snacks, Golf to End Cancer, and Shop To End Cancer.
About Golf To End Cancer. Golf to End Cancer (G2EC) was launched in 2011 at the PGA Fall Expo in Las Vegas as a way to promote the efforts of individuals and organizations in the golf industry to create a cancer-free world through its networking web site (www.golftoendcancer.com), corporate partnerships, and at Miracle Wellness Day events.
Contact:
A.J. Ali
Marathon of Miracles
AJ@marathonofmiracles.org
443-463-5009
Jennifer Dixon
Jamison Golf Group
jennifer@jamisongolf.com
407-234-5300