North Carolina Open Pro-Am Raises Money For Hendrick Marrow Program
Transplant Recipient Samantha Washko Accepts Donation Check
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (June 11, 2010) – The Carolinas PGA Section presented
$3,600 to the Hendrick Marrow Program of Be The Match FoundationSM as part
of the 46th Toshiba North Carolina Open which concluded yesterday at the
Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis, N.C. Representatives from the Hendrick
Marrow Program and Toshiba, along with Samantha Washko, who received a
transplant in 2001, were presented with the donation which will help fund
all of the great programs and necessities incurred by patients in need of
bone marrow transplants.
The Hendrick Marrow Program works with Be The Match Foundation to support
the work of the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP). The Hendrick Marrow
Program raises money to add more potential marrow donors to the NMDP’s Be
The Match Registry®, increasing the chances that more patients find their
match. It also helps patients pay for some uninsured transplant costs which
are often a barrier to their treatment.
The Washko family found themselves going through the unthinkable, as
Samantha was first diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) at the
age of five. They later found out that due to a Philadelphia chromosome,
the only treatment that could help her would be a transplant. If that
wasn’t difficult enough, they soon also found out that there was no one in
the NMDP’s system who was a match for her marrow type, and that’s where the
Hendrick Marrow Program stepped in.
After finding a donor from New England, the Hendrick Marrow Program
operating through Be The Match Foundation also helped defray some of the
costs the family incurred in moving to Durham to be nearer to Duke
University Medical Center, and the transplant treatment itself, through
patient assistance funds. The Be The Match Foundation Patient Assistance
Program also provides grants to patients to help with food, ground
transportation, insurance premiums, temporary lodging, and prescriptions
and co-pays.
Those additional costs and the uncertainty that accompanies any
life-threatening illness can prove to be chaotic for the families and
patients involved. Hendrick Marrow program helped the Washkos find a sense
of normalcy and calm throughout their ordeal, even going so far as to
provide gifts for Samantha and her family at Christmas.
Samantha received her transplant on November 14, 2001 at Duke University
Medical Center. Now, going into her freshmen year of high school, she can’t
imagine what her life might have been like without the Hendrick Marrow
Program.
“I think it’s amazing that people as famous as Mr. Hendrick and even
average ordinary people would give their time to help kids in need. You may
not think it makes that much of a difference but it does.”
The Carolinas PGA Section and its members know how valuable organizations
like the Hendrick Marrow Program are to the areas they serve. That’s why
whenever possible, the Section and its members look to give back to those
foundations and communities in any way they can, most often through Pro-Ams
held in conjunction with major tournaments such as the 46th Toshiba North
Carolina Open. So far this year, the Carolinas PGA Section has raised a
total of more than $10,000 for charitable interests of communities hosting
our major championships.
The Carolinas PGA Section would like to thank the Hendrick Marrow Program
for the necessary and vital part it plays in enhancing the lives of those
in need of bone marrow transplants. We’d also like to thank PGA General
Manager Jeff Austin, PGA Head Professional Alan Cress, their staff, and the
members at the Club at Irish Creek for their hospitality and support of
this event. And finally, we’d like to thank our title sponsor Toshiba for
their contributions to the Carolinas PGA, our professional members, and the
46th Toshiba North Carolina Open.
About the Hendrick Marrow Program
Rick Hendrick, Chairman and CEO of Hendrick Motorsports, established the
Hendrick Marrow Program in 1997 after he was diagnosed with leukemia. Even
though he did not need a marrow transplant himself, he wanted to help other
patients waiting to find a marrow match and a second chance at life.
The Hendrick Marrow Program works with Be The Match Foundation to support
the National Marrow Donor Program. Specifically it raises money to add more
potential marrow donors to the NMDP’s Be The Match Registry increasing the
chances that more patients can find their match. It also helps patients
with uninsured transplant costs, which are often a barrier to treatment.
Since its inception, the Hendrick Marrow Program has raised more than $9
million, added more than 95,000 marrow donors to the Be The Match Registry,
and eased the financial burden of more than 5,000 patients with grants from
the Hendrick Family Fund for Patient Assistance.
The Hendrick Marrow Program, Be The Match Foundation, and the NMDP are
dedicated to creating the opportunity for all patients to receive the
life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant they need.
The Club at Irish Creek
The centerpiece of The Club at Irish Creek is a stunning 18-hole Davis Love
III Signature Golf Course. Set into dramatic, rolling terrain that
encircles a pristine 400-acre lake, Love’s design takes full advantage of
the mature forest, the natural contours, and the ever-present lakefront,
which is visible from 16 of the 18 holes. Competitors will enjoy
breathtaking views and a masterful design that pays homage to a past where
walking was part of the game. With few
forced carries, wide fairways, and ample greens this is a true members
course with just enough variables to make it as challenging a layout as
you’ll find on our schedule this year.
