Golfing for a cause on Cape Cod

The WED fund pays for preventive services including diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, MRIs, and genetic testing that are not covered by health insurance.

“This fundraising couldn’t have come at a better time, since the current fund was quite low,” said Beatrice Gremlich, executive director of advancement at the Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation. “Since the inception of the fund, we’ve never turned any requests away and now we will be able to continue to provide assistance to those who need it.”

The two tournaments that benefited the WED fund are Eastward Ho! Women’s 18 Hole Golf League held at the Eastward Ho! Golf Club in Chatham on July 16, and the Pink Day Golf tournament held at the Cummaquid Golf Club in Yarmouthport on July 18.

The Women’s 18 Hole Golf League raised over $6,000 this year, said Beth Howard, manager of annual giving at the Cape Cod Healthcare Foundation.

“It’s such a special tournament because Beth Cuda Baker and her daughter, Ellie, play in it. Beth is the daughter of Dick and Ellie Cuda. Through Ellie and Dick's generosity, Cape Cod Healthcare opened the Ellen B. and Richard S. Cuda Women’s Health Center and Garden at Wilkens Medical Complex, which provides comprehensive, state of the art diagnostic capabilities specific to women's needs,” said Howard.

The Pink Day Golf Tournament at the Cummaquid Golf Club raised $19,196, which came from sponsorships, fees and games that golfers paid to play during the tournament.

“We started with sponsorships from businesses and individuals who belong to the club early on,” said Gabriela Galvin, president of the Pink Day Golf Tournament. “We recognized them through signage and marketing, so we were on the plus side of fundraising the day of the tournament. Sixty women who played the links on the day of the tournament also paid $5 for each game they chose to use during the tournament including a shot from a pro, the purchase of ‘mulligans’ and ‘sandies and other fun games.’”

Grateful for the Care and Support

Jillian Paradise was a guest speaker at the Pink Day Golf tournament at the Cummaquid Golf Club and spoke about her journey with breast cancer. She was diagnosed in May of this year and expressed her appreciation for the care and support she received at the Cuda Women’s Health Center.

“It is a real community that supported me, and I was very impressed by that,” said Paradise. “I was grateful that I have really good health insurance, so I didn’t need any assistance, but I know a couple of people from my breast cancer support group who used it and it was very important to them. They were going through one of the hardest times in their life and the fund took the pressure off having to pay for services their insurance didn’t cover. It’s sad that the fund needs to exist but, thankfully, it does.”

There are many women’s charity golf tournaments on the Cape that benefit the Cuda Women’s Health Center, according to Howard. “All the tournaments are very special because it’s women getting together to raise money and support services they can use, their neighbors use, and their children use.”