Blake leads FDCC ladies golf club ‘Big Break’ effort
Carrol Blake, a Fox Den Country Club member for more than 42 years, was the appropriate choice to chair Ladies 18-Hole and Ladies 9-Hole clubs’ third annual Big Break charity fundraising golf skills challenge.
Big Break For Cystic Fibrosis, with almost 40 members of combined clubs participating, took place on a bright and sunny Thursday afternoon, March 23, on and along the FDCC course.
“My grandson, Kyle Blake, has cystic fibrosis, so that’s why we’re doing this,” Blake said.
“He’s doing well. He’s 20. He was here earlier, but he had to go to school.”
While the foursome of Teresa Jackson, Karen Jones, Pam Schaffer and Connie Krum won the overall skills challenge competition, Blake focused on her grandson’s battle while addressing the post-event luncheon gathering in FDCC ballroom.
“At 6 months [of age] he was not gaining [weight] and we couldn’t figure out why,” Blake said about her grandson. “And they tested him and he had cystic fibrosis.”
Fighting back tears, “His life expectancy was supposed to be 5 years. And now he’s 20,” Blake said, adding that a special drug more than doubled his “lung capacity.”
“The way they came up with that drug was research.”
Pat Blake, Carrol’s son and Kyle’s father, attended the luncheon. and thanked everyone for their support.
“Every year we pick a charity to honor, and it’s usually because one of our members, or a member of their family, is affected by that disease,” said Cathy Slusser, Ladies 18-Hole member and event participant. “The first year we did it we [raised money] for Parkinson’s [disease]. Last year was multiple sclerosis because one of our members has multiple sclerosis.
“I think it went very well. We had a lot of participation.”
The event included a silent auction.
Events and winning teams:
“While We’re Young” Relay: Slusser, Sally Hedgepath, Angie Hellmann and Barb Anderson; “Great Day at the Beach:” Jones, Jackson, Schaffer and Krum; “Up and Over! Lob Wall:” Brenda Curtis, Sandy Thompson, Kathy Metcalf and Blake.
“Putt, Putt, Putting:” Judy Strandquist, Jamie Knowling, Mary-Margaret Moore and Betty Dick plus the team of Kathy Jackson, Debbie Siddons, Grace Mutz and Lynda Inman; “TARGET PRACTICE:” Jones, Jackson, Schaffer and Krum; “Tic Tac Toe!” Jones, Jackson, Schaffer and Krum plus the team of Slusser, Hedgepath, Hellmann and An-derson plus the team of Linda Trotter, Jill Tomlinson, Linda Fogle and Denise Doesburg; “Lag Putting:” Strandquist, Knowling, Moore and Dick; “The Approach Shot:” Jones, Jackson, Schaffer and Krum; “Break the Tile!” Julie Natale, Donna Farinella, Mary Christofferson and Jane Gouffon.
