Community Rallies to Support Local Golf Pro
A couple months ago, a young husband and father received distressing news. Ben Boyd, assistant golf professional at Brae Burn Country Club, was diagnosed with stomach and esophageal cancer. Faced with the daunting prospect of months of chemotherapy and limited resources to support his young family, Ben was uncertain as to where to turn for help. He did not need to look far.
In six short weeks, volunteers from the West Suburban YMCA, Newton Elks and Brae Burn Country Club worked around the clock to pull together the Ben Boyd and Family Fund Golf Tournament on Monday, October 23, 2006. Every penny of the $122,000 netted from the event will benefit the Ben Boyd Family Fund. The fund was created to assist with Ben’s mounting medical expenses, to help create a college trust for his four-year old son, Luke, and to support his wife, Tara, with day-to-day expenses.
Ben Boyd was strong enough to attend the event and was joined on the Brae Burn golf course by his father, Sid, who flew in from Texas to be with his son, and 166 other golfers. After the tournament, Pat Palmer, President & CEO of the West Suburban YMCA, emceed a raffle and silent auction. Through it all, young Luke sat calmly on his mother’s lap. Until Palmer presented the four-year old with a brand new bike, his face lit up and he would not sit down or leave the bike for the rest of the evening. After seeing Luke so happy and hearing Ben’s speech, everyone remembered the importance of community and rallying together to support a family through a difficult time.
“The outpouring of support from Ben’s friends, family and colleagues is inspiring,” said Palmer. “So many people wanted to help and contribute that we had to turn away golfers. The best part of the day was not the golf or the amount of money we raised. It was seeing Ben relaxed and enjoying himself and his family.”
If you would like to learn more about how you can support Ben and his family, please contact Andrea Gajda at andreag@ymcainnewton.org.