For A Cure NW Hosting Swing For A Cure ’22 at Avalon in August
For A Cure NW announced the 2nd Annual Swing for A Cure charitable golf tournament scheduled for August 27 at Avalon Golf Links in Burlington, Washington. FACNW is a newly formed charitable corporation formed for the purpose of raising funds to support the High-Risk Leukemia (HRL) Clinical Trials Program at Children’s Hospital in Seattle, one of the flagship cancer research organizations in the world, and ground zero for state-of-the-art clinical trials and cancer treatment. The program is complex, and enormously expensive — comprehensive clinical trials, world class practitioners, and total case management including support for patients and their families whose lives have been upended by such a devastating diagnosis.
The corporation is the brainchild of Tom Hayes, of Edmonds, a retired elementary school teacher and himself a two-time survivor of leukemia. First diagnosed in 2017, Hayes was treated locally and first went into remission late that year. In 2018, Hayes dedicated his recovery to raising funds for Children’s, and initially raised more than $100,000 through Climb for a Cure, gathering sponsors, donors and participants who joined him in ascending Sauk Mountain. Tom relapsed and is presently recovering from the rigors of stem cell transplantation, rebuilding his immune system from scratch, and driving his fundraising efforts remotely.
In the summer of 2021, Tom was joined by several fellow educators in brainstorming a golf tournament to raise more money for the HRL, one of whom was Don Barbacovi, retired former Principal at Everett High School, who lost his eight-year-old granddaughter to cancer in 2020 after a five-year struggle. After only three months of intensive planning and preparation, Swing for a Cure staged a fundraising tourney in October at Legion Memorial in Everett. The event drew local sponsors and donors and volunteers, and a field of almost 50 golfers, and proved to be a rousing success, joined by Dr. Todd Cooper, the head of HRL, and Erika Kreger, Director of Development for Seattle Children’s Foundation.
 With the success of Swing for a Cure as proof of concept, the group was inspired to form a charitable corporation under IRS §501c.3, and to raise its sights to host bigger events, attracting hikers, climbers, bikers, among other enthusiasts. Today, FOR A CURE NW is inviting sponsors and donors and volunteers to participate in planning for the August golf tournament and is now open for registration to golfers.Â
Please direct inquiries to Gary McDonald or call 425-397-2086.