Tee off with a Rock Star and Send a Nurse to School This Summer
March 14, 2011
Annual Spirit of Caring Tournament 2011 Includes Celebrity Player
CHARLESTON, SC – May 10, 2011 Tee off on Daniel Island this May, help a nurse go to school and hit the links with a rock star all at the sametime. The Spirit of Caring Golf Tournament is back and – as is par forthe course – the 2011 edition will benefit the Roper St. FrancisHealthcare (RSFH) Nursing Scholarship Fund. The tournament will be held Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at the Ralston Creek Golf Club and Hootie and the Blowfish founding member Mark Bryan will trade in his guitar for a golf club to take part in the event. Last year’s tournament raised more than $50,000.
“As usual, I can’t wait to get out on the course, but this time I haveextra inspiration. I’ll be there to support the many nurses who spendhour after hour on their feet caring for the sick and making a positiveimpact on patients’ lives each day,” said Bryan, the band’s leadguitarist and chairman of the board for Carolina Studios. While Hootieand the Blowfish are on a long break, Bryan is investing many volunteerhours working to develop and expand a free after school program inCharleston where students can learn how to record their own music called Carolina Studios. But he is excited to get some time on the course and in the sun to help support the nurses’ fund. “I am going to bestationed at a surprise location during the tournament and willhopefully hit some balls that will make a positive impact on someplayers’ scorecards.”
This is the fourth year the popular Spirit of Caring Tournament has been held during National Nurses Week, with event proceeds helping supportthe more than decade-old RSFH Nursing Scholarship Fund. Since thefund’s inception, 185 nurses have received scholarships ranging from$1,000 to $10,000. The scholarships provide financial assistance tostudents currently in nursing schools as well as professional nursespursuing advanced degrees in the field.
“Each day I come to work at Roper Hospital in Charleston I know I willdo something to improve the lives of my patients and I feel proud aboutwhat I contribute to their families,” said Karen Byrd, RN, RSFH NursingScholarship Fund winner.
A nursing program at a two year college costs approximately $5,200, according to CollegeBoard.com. And the same source shows this year’s undergraduate college studentpaying between $9,000 and $40,000 for tuition and fees in 2011.
“The majority of the people who receive our scholarships stay in ourcommunity providing compassionate, professional healthcare services,”said Lisa Irvin, RN, MSN, NEA-BC, Roper Hospital Vice President ofNursing. “Currently, Roper St. Francis Healthcare supports dozens ofscholarship recipients in accredited nursing programs at schoolsincluding the Medical University of South Carolina, Clemson, Universityof South Carolina, Lander University, Charleston Southern University,Trident Technical College and more, with nearly $130,000 awarded to the2010-2012 graduating classes.”
To register a foursome to play in The Spirit of Caring Golf Tournamentplease contact Joan Wherley at (843)724-2193, or email her at [email protected]. The entry fee for each foursome is $1,600. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Roper St. Francis Healthcare would like to thank all of the tournamentsponsors including the underwriting sponsor, Morrison Healthcare FoodServices. Other sponsors include: Bon Secours St. Francis Nursing,Carolinas HealthCare Systems, CMS Imaging/Club Habana, Efficient Capital Corporation, and Studer Group, as well as, Allied Barton SecurityServices, Anderson & Associates, Bon Secours Health System, Inc.,CAB Receivables Management Company, The Post and Courier and RoperRadiologists, PA.
To learn more about Roper St. Francis Healthcare, please visit http://www.rsfh.com.
