Golf tournament raises money for SWFL cancer patients

With every swing of a club, another cancer patient gets help. A tournament in Lee County was organized to provide financial support to them, so they don’t have to choose between paying for treatment or paying rent.

Lynn Morton enjoys seeing dozens of golfers at Heritage Palms Golf & Country Club in Fort Myers participate in the “Golf Classic” to support cancer patients who need help to overcome financial hardships.

“We’ve met several other patients that were in so much need, and it’s helped them tremendously,” Morton said.

Morton’s husband, Tony, is one of the many beneficiaries of the tournament and effort to help cancer patients in the area.

“I have stage 4 pancreatic cancer that metastasized to both my lungs,” Tony said. “Not only are you worried about your sickness but you’re worried about financially ‘Am I gonna lose my house? Am I gonna lose my car?’”

That’s where the golf tournament in Fort Myers swings in with support. Morton helped organize it in partnership with Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation.

“All the proceeds today go to cancer patients,” said Lynn Rasys, executive director of the foundation. “The second annual Golf Classic broke last year’s record, so it looks like we’ve raised $110,000.”

That money is making a difference for families who apply through the foundation for help. One hundred percent of proceeds from the tournament go to cancer patients in Southwest Florida. The cancer foundation said it has never turned a qualified cancer patient away.

“I think it’s for a great cause, and they’re helping so many patients,” Morton said.