Almost always, tragedy strikes in an instant. One moment, the day seems like it will bleed into all of the other days, and then the very next moment, you know the days will never again be the same.
This is what happened on May 29, 2013 when St Joseph’s Todd Hitt’s grandson, Brody, was diagnosed with Leukemia and admitted to the St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
During Brody’s 34-day stay in the hospital, he received an enormous amount of get well cards from friends and family. But one card stood out.
That card included a monetary donation from 18 Fore Life, an organization in Dexter, Mo., that sends money to families in immediate need because their child has an illness.
In 1999, when a coach at their local high school was diagnosed with cancer, five high school friends banded together by starting a golf outing to raise money to help the coach through his time of need. The golf outing was so successful that the group continued the event year-after-year, raising money to send to families in the Missouri area who have children battling cancer.
By June 3, 2013, the group raised a total of over $1,000,000. On June 7, Brody’s family received $1,000 in their time of need.
“The donation from 18 Fore Life was very emotional,” Hitt said. “The donation came in the mail within 20 days of Brody being admitted to St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
“It was opened in his room and there wasn’t a dry eye while Jody (Brody’s mom) read the letter,” Hitt said. “It meant so much emotionally to have this organization, who did not know our family, donate money to them.”
Sitting in the hospital room with his grandson, Hitt decided he wanted to provide some relief to families fighting just like his family was fighting by organizing a similar event in Central Illinois.
He texted his high school friends, Stephen Morris and Doug Behrens, and asked them to be part of an organization that would raise money to give families that have children under the age of 18 that are battling an illness or injury.
“I wanted to bring this to our hometown,” Hitt said.
“Literally within 10 minutes they replied and were on board. Our name came only minutes later as Doug replied ‘Friends Fore Life…a double meaning right?’ and we were off and running.”
Brody went through four years of chemotherapy treatments, which Hitt said, “every kid that goes through that is a brutal treatment, but they are very resilient.”
Eight-year old Brody now visits doctors every three months to monitor his heart and other vital organs after receiving chemotherapy at such a young age. Hitt says his grandson is an active boy, though, participating in baseball and football.
“He is also an avid reader. Brody’s stature is quite amazing,” he said. “He is the tallest in second grade by far at 4 feet, 8 inches and is very tender and caring.”
To date, the Friends Fore Life, a 501(c)3 organization, has donated $56,000 to families throughout Central and East Central Illinois.
“We donate to families that have children (under 18) that are battling a life threatening injury or illness,” Hitt said.
“Once we hear of a possible family, the situation is vetted typically by friends or family of the potential recipient family. Our process is simple. We get a name and address to send the $1,000 check (Love Offering) to them along with a short letter, explaining who we are. There is no fanfare, by design.”
“Their life just got turned, there are so many people in this area that need help,” Hitt said. “It’s nice that they get $1,000 in their pocket to help relieve some of the stress.”
Hitt said the group does not follow-up with the families who have received the donation, but they follow the child by checking the Facebook or Caring Bridge page setup to distribute updates.
“The heartfelt ‘thank you’ cards we receive from the family are all we need to know that the money was definitely appreciated,” he said. “We also understand that our $1,000 donation does not even dent the expenses being incurred by the family. But, from experience, I know that it goes a long way for cafeteria food or a hotel room for Grandma.”
Friends Fore Life is preparing for its sixth golf outing on May 10, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Stone Creek Golf Club, in Urbana.
A group of four can golf for $500 and those who aren’t golfing can still participate by purchasing a $25 ticket for dinner and live music in the evening.
“Of course raising money is key, but we strive to give our golfers an awesome afternoon of golf,” Hitt said.
Each foursome that participates in the 18-hole golf outing will receive a boxed lunch, dinner buffet, swag bag and the opportunity to party with the Boat Drunks that evening. The group has established a $10,000 hole-in-one giveaway along with other hole-in-one prizes throughout the course.
Because there are no administrative costs and minimal expenses, the majority of the money raised goes to families who need it.
Other sponsorship opportunities are available. Registration for the event can be completed through Eventbrite.
