On Monday, April 25, 45 golfers put their skills to the test as they embarked on an ambitious challenge to play as many holes as they could in support of Children’s Cancer Association and its JoyRx programs.

Now in its third year, the annual Golf for Joy Challenge brings together golfers from the Pacific Northwest and beyond, who challenge themselves to play round after round from sunup to sundown to lift the spirits of seriously ill children nationwide.

Together, our generous golfers played hundreds of holes at the Witch Hollow course at the prestigious Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, raising almost $100,000 in critical funding to bring the healing power of JoyRx to families caring for children with life-threatening illness.

Making Joy Possible

Many players attending this year’s event have a personal connection to Children’s Cancer Association and/or serious pediatric illness. During the lunchtime break, a few golfers had a chance to share their personal, heartfelt stories.

Dan Abbott, whose son Jesse celebrated his final day of treatment in 2021, reflected on the unforgettable day his son was diagnosed with leukemia — and how Jesse’s JoyRx Mentor, Kim Corekin, brought needed Joy and support to the entire family. Kim was also present at the golf-a-thon, and reflected on her own experiences as a volunteer mentor.

“It was such a relief to have [Jesse’s JoyRx Mentor] Kim come by to spend time with Jesse, to read to him, play LEGOs, and just be a friend. The joy that we see in Jesse when he receives a note, a video, or visit from Ms. Kim is awesome.” — Dan Abbot, Jesse’s dad

We were also delighted to see Seth Finnie, a graduate of our JoyRx Mentorship program, back for a second year to golf with friend and former mentor, Ed Burke. Last year, Seth finished treatment only one week before our Challenge — but that didn’t stop him from playing 45 holes and earning the title of Most Inspiring Golfer!

Going the Extra Mile

While the true winners of our Golf for Joy Challenge are the thousands of kids whose treatment experiences will be a little brighter and more Joyful thanks to the generosity of our golfers — we’d like to recognize a few star players for going above and beyond on their fundraising:

Team Lee

Jennie Lee (former LPGA golfer and Global Associate Product Manager – Golf Apparel at Nike) and Eunice Lee (Director NXT Engineered Textiles Innovation at Nike) raised $13,000 for JoyRx and walked 72 holes each — thank you so much!

Bill Grange

Thank you to Bill, Principal Broker at Bill Grange Real Estate and longtime JoyRx Mentor and CCA friend, who played more than 100 holes and raised $6,980 through his golf-a-thon!

Sean Stewart

Sean Stewart, Assistant PGA Professional at Royal Oaks Country Club, played 100 holes and raised $6,013 to bring Joy and healing to kids served by our JoyRx programs. Thank you, Sean!

Thank You!

Our heartfelt gratitude to our golfers and their friends and family for their generous support; our wonderful in-kind donors Crumbl Cookies, Benny’s Donuts, Black Rock Coffee, Tito’s Vodka, StretchLab, Portland Gear, and Jimmy John’s, and to Gay Davis and Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club for making our third-annual Challenge another hole-in-one!

Making Joy Possible at the Third Annual Golf for Joy Challenge