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It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a golf game. Imagine this, a child is sick. You wait anticipating the moment when you will hear them play again. Every moment, your ears are listening for that one small request “Can I go play now?” The stress of a child’s illness affects both children and their parents, and ironically, this is where golf comes in.

The 17th Annual Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s Friends of Children Golf Classic takes place Thursday, May 10. The tournament is open to the public and will be held at the Highland Country Club. It was started in 1991 by community leaders and medical professionals, who saw the need to enhance pediatric care for less fortunate children and their families. The tournament has raised more than $1.4 million to date. The golf classic is held in honor of the recently deceased L.B Floyd, who joined the cause with his beloved wife, Yvonne, in 1993.

L.B. Floyd is a native of Salt Lake City, S.C. He retired from Ft. Bragg, where he managed Stryker Golf course. He is a former winner of the Carolinas PGA Section’s Palmer Maples and is known in the area as the Patriarch of Golf. Since 1993 until the time of his death L.B. Floyd was instrumental in helping to support the mission of the Friend’s of Children Golf Foundation. The focus of the foundation is to provide necessary medical care while also acting as an advocate for children and their families.

Have you ever been sick, or cared for an ill loved one? If so, you are well aware of the emotional, physical and financial toll it can take on a family. Right now there are children and families who need you. Your participation can lift the burden that comes with illness. Co-Chairmen of the Friends of Children Golf Classic, Tom Costello and Duane DeGaetano, both fathers, know first hand, the stress of caring for a sick child.

“By giving of our time and treasures, we have found a way to help children and families who may not be as lucky,” said Tom Costello, vice president/General Manager of Rick Hendrick Toyota. Duane DeGaetano is the president of Construction Systems Inc. Both companies along with Valley Auto World are presenting sponsors this year.

The Friends of Children Golf Classic is the perfect opportunity for you to help. Spending a day on the greens will help provide needed medical care for a sick child and peace of mind to the family. Not a golfer? You can still contribute by attending the foundation’s dinner, which will take place immediately following the tournament. The dinner is open to the public and will feature your choice of steak, chicken or a vegetarian entrée. The cost for the dinner is $50. There will also be a beer and wine tasting prior to the dinner at about 5:30 p.m.

The Friend’s of Children Golf Classic is the place to be to help those in need. Mark your calendar and save the date. Enjoy a great game of golf, fine wine and exquisite dinning, all while helping those who would love just to go out and play.

To learn more about the tournament or to pledge to help those in need, contact the Cape Fear Valley Health Foundation’s Friends of Children at (910) 615-1449 or email FriendsofChildren@capefearvalley.com.