Annual Golf Tournament Supporters Raise Funds While Having Fun

Cape Girardeau, Mo. – It was a beautiful afternoon on May 19 when participants of the fifth annual Ken Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament hit the fairways. More than 120 golfers and 30 volunteers turned out for the event that raised $25,000 for Saint Francis Medical Center’s Cancer Care Fund.

“We couldn’t be more pleased with the response to the tournament,” says Steven C. Bjelich, FACHE-D, President and CEO, Saint Francis Healthcare System. “It continues to grow each year and is a great tribute to Ken Hayden – a remarkable gentleman who graced this community and the Medical Center with his passion for life.”

Funds raised from the Ken Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament support those in need of cancer treatment and services at Saint Francis Medical Center. Funds have been allocated to assist Medical Center patients with transportation fees, hotel expenses, medication costs, babysitting services and more. Since its inception in 2004, more than $73,000 has been raised to benefit patients throughout this region.

Winners of the championship flight included Luanne Kiefner, Jim Limbaugh, Michele Litzelfelner and Rob Litzelfelner. Mary Kistner, Jim McElreath, Mary Jean Eftink and Leon Eftink, won flight A while Amy Ressel, Bob Jones, Kelly McGowan and Luke Cowell won flight B.

Bjelich concludes, “This tournament is a perfect way to remember Ken’s love of Saint Francis, dedication to the community and advocating spirit for advanced medicine. Thank you to everyone who played in or sponsored this year’s outing.”

Saint Francis Medical Center recently began construction of the four-story, 180,000 square foot combined Heart Hospital and Cancer Institute, where advanced treatments and technology will be available under one convenient roof. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Missouri, according to the United Health Foundation. Cancer touches the lives of three out of every four Missouri families. Because of these staggering statistics, Saint Francis Medical Center is taking health care to a higher level by creating a facility that will assist area physicians in providing total care for patients in the region. Bjelich adds, “The need for an advanced, comprehensive, coordinated cancer treatment facility in this community is evident by the growing support of the Ken Hayden Memorial Golf Tournament.”

The new Cancer Institute will allow patients to quickly access the existing expertise of medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons and other specialists uniquely trained in cancer care. The concept for the facility addresses not only direct medical care, but also the spiritual and emotional needs of cancer patients.

The Saint Francis Foundation is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization that supports Saint Francis Medical Center by strengthening the institution overall and re-affirming its mission of supporting the community and the people it serves. Formally organized in 1976, its mission reflects the Medical Center’s priorities through fund-raising efforts that support the community. The Foundation sponsors several annual events including golf tournaments, Dig for Life, Luminaries for Life, book sales and philanthropic activities such as annual appeals, memorials, endowment funds, planned giving, grants and major gifts. Through the generosity of the community, staff and volunteers, the Foundation accepts contributions each year to purchase state-of-the-art equipment, provide patient and employee assistance, create new programs that help patients in the region and improve facilities at the Medical Center.