05-22-13-ryan.gifDiagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma during his senior year of high school, Ryan Kishbaugh was a determined young man who refused to let cancer get the best of him. His inspirational story gives hope to others who are fighting cancer, so in memory of Ryan, the 2013 Ryan Patrick Kishbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on July 13 at 8:30 a.m. at Cypress Lakes Golf Course to benefit the nonprofit Carpe Diem Foundation.

The Carpe Diem Foundation has three tenets: it supports other foundations, it promotes and helps fund education and research for the treatment of chronic illnesses and it provides college scholarships for student athletes who have a chronic illness or someone who has battled a chronic illness during their formative years and plans on attending college.

“This is the 10th year of Ryan’s memorial golf tournament and it has turned into a large annual event,” said David Kishbaugh, father and host of The Ryan P. Kishbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament. “Each year we raise money and we give it to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.”

Kishbaugh added that last year they maxed out participation and used all of the available slots.

The event will consist of a day of golf, food, beverages, T-shirts and prizes. There will be a hole-in-one contest, a 50-50 raffl e and a special putting contest. There will be prizes for longest drive and closest to the pin.

“Restaurants will provide the food and drinks for the event,” said Kishbaugh. “Everyone comes out and we play golf in memory of Ryan.”

Ryan Patrick Kishbaugh was born on July 26, 1984. He was an exceptional young man who excelled in all of his endeavors. He graduated second in his high school class and was accepted into Princeton University. He played varsity soccer and basketball. He won the 2001 Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service. He worked for Habitat for Humanity, helped at Better Health and worked at diabetes clinics.

Kishbaugh describes Ryan as a good kid, independent and hardworking. 05-22-13-ryan-golf-tourn.gif

“He believed in people and was my most free-spirited child.” said Kishbaugh. “He didn’t believe in conformity, but yet he was so self-driven and excelled in anything he wanted to do.”

Kishbaugh added that when Ryan learned that he had cancer in 2001, he decided that he was going to defeat it and not let it get him down.

Openings for the tournament are fi lling up fast, and Kishbaugh hopes to see a full roster on the golf course again this year. Online registration at http://golfdigestplanner.com/22842-2013RPK and includes a one-year subscription to Golf Digest. Registration on the day of the event begins at 7:30 a.m. For more information, call 850-7833.

Photo bottom right: The 2013 Ryan Patrick Kishbaugh Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on July 13 at 8:30 a.m. at Cypress Lakes Golf Course to benefit the nonprofit Carpe Diem Foundation.