Links Fore Leukemia Helicopter Ball Drop

Have you purchased your entries for the 3rd Annual Helicopter Ball Drop presented by Elbit Systems of America yet?  

Sales are going quickly - don't miss your chance to win $2,000 at the Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament presented by Venari Resources.

2016 Helicopter Ball Drop

Here's How It Works:

1. Purchase a single ball or a package of balls by clicking here.*You do not need to be present to win*

2.  The balls will be taken above the putting green the morning of the tournament and dropped down towards a hole.

3.  Any ball that falls directly in the hole will win $2,000!  There are additional prizes for the top three balls that are closest to the pin.

Don't miss out on the opportunity to win BIG and support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

 

Meet Makenna: Links Fore Leukemia Honored Hero

The Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament presented by Venari Resources is a day of great golf, competition and camaraderie.  Most importantly, the tournament exists to help fund The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's relentless drive to find cures for blood cancers.

Ten-year-old Makenna has agreed to serve as the 2017 Honored Hero.  She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) just days before her 8th birthday.  Doctors quickly learned she had a mutation that made her leukemia more difficult to treat.  She faced 10 different types of chemotherapy, 25 spinal taps, and countless needle pokes.  After 10 months of intense chemotherapy treatment, she is in remission!  Although she continues to receive monthly maintenance chemo through her port, as well as daily chemo pills at home, she is thankful to be back in school and participating in the activities that she loves.

Since her diagnosis, Makenna has embraced her diagnosis and the opportunity to educate other children about leukemia and why it's important to fund research.  As Makenna likes to say, she looks forward to a time when "they can give you a shot to prevent leukemia from ever happening!"
We are inspired by her strong spirit and fierce determination not to let her leukemia diagnosis stop her from enjoying childhood.

Three Ways to Get Involved:
Inspired by Makenna's story to get involved?  Here are three ways you can get involved with the tournament today:
1. Register yourself and your foursome to play in the tournament.
2. Purchase a group of golf balls for the Helicopter Ball Drop presented by Elbit Systems of America
3. Share this post with somebody who would be interested in golfing with us.

Save the Date:
Monday, June 26th
TPC Four Seasons Las Colinas
www.linksforeleukemiadallas.org

National Volunteer Week: Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament

Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation's compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another. 

~Erma Bombeck

Matthew Willis (second from the left) with his foresome in
the 2011 Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament.

This week is National Volunteer Week and while The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is thankful for its volunteers year round, we are taking this opportunity to highlight seven outstanding volunteers that help make the North Texas chapter run so efficiently.

Matthew Willis, while one of the youngest golfers at the Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament, is the top fundraiser year after year.  He consistently raises more than $12,000 in honor of his father, Jim Willis, one of the tournament co-founders. 

Jim was diagnosed with leukemia in 1994 when his wife was pregnant with Matthew.  They already had a two year old daughter.  During treatment Jim met Bob Barker, another golfer who was also battling leukemia.  The two decided to combine their love of golf with their leukemia battle and created the Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Shortly after the inaugural tournament, Jim lost his battle with leukemia.  Bob is living cancer-free and is still very involved in the tournament, serving on the planning committee of the tournament. 

May 6, 2013 will mark the 17th year of the tournament and even though Matthew was very young when his father died, he raises funds and participates each year in his father's memory.  The tournament has raised more than $2.3 million since its inception and Matthew has played a large role in reaching that impressive milestone.

We are thankful for Matthew!

Freebie Friday: Meet Mark Lenz, Board of Trustees Member

Mark Lenz, center, shakes hands with old friends at the
2011 Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament.

My introduction to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society came rather abruptly in 1995 when a friend and former colleague of mine was diagnosed with leukemia.　 Up until then, I did not personally know anybody that had been diagnosed with cancer, much less a cancer of the blood.　 Jim Willis and I worked together at Arthur Anderson for several years before his diagnosis.　

During that fight against leukemia, Jim met Bob Barker, another leukemia patient at UT Southwestern and avid golfer.　 Together, they decided to combine their love of golf with the personal battles they were both waging to beat leukemia. 　The first Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament was held in the Spring of 1997 and all of the proceeds benefited The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) and its mission to find a cure for blood cancers.　 The tournament was made up of a small group of dedicated people who stood behind Jim and Bob and their fight to beat leukemia.　 Sadly, shortly after the first event Jim lost his battle, leaving behind his wife and two young children.　 Bob, along with Jim’s family and friends, used his passing as motivation to grow the tournament and continue to give money to LLS in Jim’s honor.　　 What had started as a golf tournament took on a much deeper purpose for all of the golfers involved.

I played in and fundraised for the golf tournament in Jim’s honor the first couple of years but it was not enough.　 I wanted to do more.　 It was then that I decided to join the Links Fore Leukemia Golf tournament committee and work with a team of people to plan and execute the tournament.　 We worked relentlessly to recruit new sponsors, attract golfers and make it one of Dallas/Fort Worth’s most exclusive golf tournaments.　 Every person who has ever served on the Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament committee or supported our event is proud of the tournament, what it represents and the impact it is having on the cutting-edge research LLS is funding.　

Not long after I got involved with the Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament’s committee, I took the next step and joined the Board of Trustees for the North Texas Chapter of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.　 This is a role I have served in for the last several years.　

I am proud to say that Jim’s tournament co-founder, Bob Barker, survived his battle with leukemia and remains very involved with the Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament.　 He is instrumental in recruiting sponsors and players and carrying on the true mission of the event.　 Bob still suffers from a number of serious side effects following his bone marrow transplant many years ago but that has not dampened his spirit and determination to find a cure for blood cancers.　　 He will at the 2013 Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament on Monday, May 6^th.　 I have never seen anyone work harder for the cause and not feel sorry for the hand he has been dealt.　

Recently, I have been able to put one of my other passions to work for LLS.　 I took up photography several years ago and enjoy the challenge of making images tell a story.　 LLS events in North Texas provide me an opportunity to capture many different stories; whether it’s　 a recovering patient, a long term survivor, a family honoring the memory of a lost loved one.　　 I have taken photos at the Big D Climb, the Leukemia Cup Regatta, the Lonestar Blood Cancer Conference and at the Light the Night walks in Fort Worth and Dallas.　 I hope that some of the images will tell a story that will inspire others to participate in LLS events.

The main reason I continue to work with the Board of Trustees and on the Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament is to help raise funds and awareness so that those survivors like Bob can have a better chance at a normal life and that more blood cancer patients can join Bob as a survivor.

Registration for the 2013 Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament Presented by Safety-Kleen is now open.  Click here to register and learn more about the tournament on Monday, May 6th.  Golfers will tee off on both the Old American and The Tribute Golf Courses in this scramble tournament.  Reserve your spot today!