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Rally For The Cure

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 3, 2008

So there I was, the only guy in khakis in a sea of women in pink. The lone newsman at the Susan G. Komen Rally For The Cure luncheon on Nov. 21. Talk about sticking out like a sore thumb!

But I was really pleased to be there. Many of the golfers were breast cancer survivors. Everyone who lives here knows a survivor and many of us had friends who did not make it through. Being a cancer survivor (of any sort) automatically gets you into sort of a club and the closest parallel I can think of is with those of us who also own a Combat Infantry Badge. We didn't ask for it, but we have been there and we came back -- and we're much the closer because of it. We're survivors.

The ladies, all 147 of them, had just come back from the rally and Nan Dorsey, who coordinates this major charity drive in Sun City Center, was smiling. Nan smiled because even in this lousy economy, she and her team had raised about $25,000 (final figures not in) for cancer research. Twenty-five grand is nowhere as much as the rally has raised in the past couple of years, but it's a lot more than the gloomers and doomers forecast they could get.

Sponsors dropped out or dropped down from gold to silver or silver to bronze. New sponsors showed up. Brandon Honda is the title sponsor this year and we might want to remember that when we need a new car. Every car dealer in the area is hurting; Honda came through for the cause!

We're none of us young here, and I suspect almost all of us can remember the bad old days when the word "cancer" was not even mentioned in polite society. When someone with cancer was kept hidden away in the house. Today, institutions such as Moffitt, Anderson, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Johns Hopkins, Mayo (and others) are household words. And one of my fraternity brothers, Harry Sylvester left close to $100 million to get another going at the University of Miami.

So here's to you SCC lady golfers (from all three lady's golf organizations) and your fundraising committees and your well-knit organization. You've done it again and you have every reason to be proud.

And, I'll bet, not too proud to accept further donations. For more information, call Nan at (813) 633-8132.

Golf Study Bids Due Today

As this paper is being printed, the bids to analyze our golf courses should be flowing into CA Vice President Ed Barnes and his Golf Task Force. Sixteen companies were contacted and three actually showed up for a look-see at our situation here. It will be interesting to report to you next week on how many responses came in.

The Task Force group now has a month to review the responses and report back to the CA Board at the workshop on Jan. 5. Very few of you have ever shown up at a workshop, but this might be a good time to be aboard. 9 a.m. in the CA Board Room.

As mentioned in this department last week, the Sun City Center Golf & Social Club, Inc. has $14,451 in its assessment kitty. The SCCG&SC tried to get the Community Association to pitch in $7,500 to do the first study that was proposed. Now I'm wondering whether Golf & Social, Inc. will make the offer to share in the costs of the golf study that finally comes to pass.

The dues notices and arrangements are due out from WCI somewhere around the first of December. We'll report on those next week.

Bob Black is a member of the board of directors for the Sun City Center Community Association.

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