This morning Care Flight dropped 200 golf balls onto the driving range at the second annual ‘Miracles at Montreux’ golf tournament. The event is a fundraiser for Renown's Children's Hospital.
"We have an 86 bed children's hospital and a 14 bay pediatric emergency room and philanthropy is key to making the hospital work," says Lawrence Duncan, the VP and Administrator for Renown Children's Hospital.
As it is now, most families with chronically ill children have to travel long and far to find specialists. The hospital says it is actively working to change that.
"We have our first pediatric emergency medicine fellowship trained physician starting in July,” says Duncan. “We have a brand new pediatric neurologist starting in October and we have at least 12 to 14 other positions we're gonna fill."
Today's golf tournament at Montreux had 100 golfers participating, playing on 25 teams of four. This is the second year for the fundraiser, but the first time they've done the golf ball drop. Those were sold for $50 each and the owner of the golf ball to make it into - or closest to - the hole, won $5,000!
Thanks to the golfers and sponsors, this year's event raised $50,000 - surpassing last year's totals. The money will buy much needed specialized equipment for the Pediatric ICU and the children's emergency room... and hopefully offer some peace of mind to worried parents
"For them to see the high level of care, the skilled nurses, the high end equipment, just puts everybody more at ease," says Duncan
For more information - Renown.org/children
