(Joplin, MO) – A record-breaking $86,310 was raised during this year’s Tournament of Miracles golf scramble, the highest total ever accumulated during the 32-year-old charity event.
Held on June 10 at Twin Hills Golf & Country Club in Joplin, the 18-hole, four-person scramble serves as a major fundraiser for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN) at Freeman Health System, which provides medical assistance to children in a 14-county area throughout Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma.
“Freeman partnered with Children’s Miracle Network in 1987, so for 37 years we’ve been raising funds for local children in our community — a total of over 14 million dollars has been raised during that time,” said Brandy Miller-Turner, Freeman Development Office & CMN Manager.
As golfers mastered the greens throughout the day, this year’s local miracle champion, 8-year-old Vincent Wilkowski, roamed the fairways in a golf cart, greeting and cheering on the men and women competitors.
“All these people — we don’t know them, but the fact that they care about children like Vincent is amazing,” said Tracy Wilkowski, Vincent’s mother.
Vincent was born at 36 weeks with Bilaterial Clubfoot deformities and Distal Hand Arthrogryposis, forced to wear his first sets of casts at just five days old. After six years of multiple surgeries, Vincent is finally seeing some relief, with Ankle-Foot Orthoses braces helping him walk and keeping his feet straight.
“We could not get Vincent what he needs without having the help and having the resources,” Tracy continued. “So, watching all these strangers come together, and how they interact with him — it’s amazing.”
One hundred percent of all profits raised from each year’s golf scramble benefits local children and families in need, receiving assistance for those with medical needs such as prescriptions, medical equipment and specialty care. Funds are also raised throughout the year to support Freeman pediatricians and departments, including Freeman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Freeman Bill & Leffen Center for Autism.
“Through this partnership, we’re making miracles happen and with the help of our community partners we’re going to continue to make miracles for our local children here for a long time,” Miller-Turner said.
2024 Tournament of Miracle results:
Morning Round
- 1st Place – Simmons Bank
- 2nd Place – Cary Marion & Family
- 3rd Place – Southwest Missouri Bank
- Closest to the Pin – Pablo Corona (Great Southern Bank)
- Longest Drive: Jon Johnson (Arvest Bank)
Afternoon Round
- 1st Place – Whitetail Ridge Ranch
- 2nd Place – Crossland Construction Company Team 2
- 3rd Place – Benefit Management, Inc.
- Closest to the Pin – Derek Haverkamp (Crossland Construction Company Team 1)
- Longest Drive: Lily Allman (Missouri Southern State University)
About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center — the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services — as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2020, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System the Best Hospital in Southwest Missouri for 2020. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 80 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.
Reference:
Kevin McClintock, Media Relations Coordinator
Freeman Health System
417.434.3458
KSMcclintock@freemanhealth.com
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