In May 2018, HNC Living Foundation hosted its inaugural charity invitational golf tournament in Santa Fe, NM with the proceeds benefitting the HNC Living Foundation Endowment Fund. Twenty-eight players filled out fourteen two-man teams and competed over two days at the picturesque Club at Las Campanas. Players in the event came from Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico.
“Our foundation continues to be contacted by patients in need well beyond our Kansas City area roots. The idea for the tournament was to expose the foundation to community leaders beyond Kansas City, explain our mission and the needs we fulfill, as well as generate some funding toward our endowment fund to help ensure our longevity,” said Tom Walsh, co-founder and host of the event. Dubbed HNC High Desert Invitational, the name says it all; it’s an invitation-only event, hosted in the high desert of New Mexico, as Santa Fe is at 7,000 feet above sea level.
Registration fees paid by the teams covered all costs associated with the event other than travel expenses to and from Santa Fe, and generated over $76,000 in net proceeds to HNC’s endowment fund. While there, players enjoyed a reception at Teresa and Tom Walsh’s home, two glorious days of golf, a banquet at The Club at Las Campanas and an awards ceremony upon conclusion of the event on Wednesday May 16, 2018. Prizes were awarded for the Low Net Team, Low Net Individual Score, Low Gross Individual Score and skins games each day of the two-day event. In addition to the prizes, a golf trip for four to Boot Ranch in Fredericksburg, TX was actioned off generating additional funds for the foundation.
2018 HNC High Desert Invitational Results
Low Net Team Champions:
Bob Page, The University of Kansas Health System and Mike Brown, Burns & McDonnell
Low Net Champion:
Mike Brown, Burns & McDonnell
Low Gross Champion:
Kevin Ward, Mariner Wealth Advisors
2019 HNC High Desert Invitational
HNC Living will again host the HNC High Desert Invitational in Santa Fe on May 21–22, 2019 (travel day on Monday, May 20.) The Foundation plans to open the field to 28 teams in 2019. Teresa Walsh, co-founder and head and neck cancer survivor stated, “We thought the idea could prove successful, but wanted to do a trial run initially. Well, the trial run turned out to be tremendous, as all the players verbally committed to coming back again in 2019. We’re thrilled with how well everything turned out; how well the team at Las Campanas treated our guests, the joy experienced by the players, and the generosity of so many wonderful people supporting our Foundation.”
Dates: May 20–22, 2019
Golf: The Club at Las Campanas, Santa Fe, NM
Format: Two-player teams, two-day event, Stableford scoring
2018 Event Photos
