National Jewish Health Night & Day Golf Classic Raises Nearly $215,000

Two-Day Golf Event Benefits Morgridge Academy for Chronically Ill Children

On July 30 and 31, 170 of Denver’s business and philanthropic leaders gathered for dinner and a round of golf to raise funds to help provide a safe, friendly and healthy school environment for the chronically ill children that attend Morgridge Academy at National Jewish Health. The Night & Day Golf Classic raised nearly $215,000 to benefit the school. 
 

“The students at this unique school on the National Jewish Health campus are facing every day with a chronic illness. That can mean missing school, sitting on the sidelines during gym class and making frantic visits to the emergency room,” said Blair Richardson, chair of the National Jewish Health Board of Directors.

The two-day golf event teed off with an exclusive dinner and cocktail hour at Shanahan’s, one of Denver’s top steakhouses. Dinner featured a live and silent auction. Items up for bid included golf at Pebble Beach Resorts, a private dinner at Shanahan’s, clubhouse level seats to see the Rockies, and tickets to Shakespeare at the Denver Center for the Performing Art’s new theatre-in-the-round.

The Pebble Beach Resorts golf live auction package offered the opportunity to represent Morgridge Academy and compete for part of the Lexus charity purse prize at the 2017 Lexus Champions for Charity tournament in Pebble Beach, California. The package was donated by Kuni Lexus of Greenwood Village and United Airlines.

The second day of the event included brunch, golf and an awards dinner at the highly acclaimed Sanctuary golf course in Sedalia, Colorado.

Among the golfers were Carrie and John Morgridge, for whom Morgridge Academy was named. Through their family foundation, the couple have been steadfast supporters of education at National Jewish Health. The funds raised at the Night & Day Golf Classic provide critical funding for the school, including staffing needs.

“A team of teachers, nurses, a child advocate, a child behavioral specialist and pediatricians support the Morgridge Academy students every day,” Richardson said. “These professionals give Morgridge Academy students the skills they need to lead healthy, productive and active lives.”

The National Jewish Health Night & Day Golf Classic committee was chaired by Marc Steron, member of the National Jewish Health Board of Directors and chair of the Development Board. Other National Jewish Health Board Members on the committee included Stanton Dodge and David Engleberg, as well as Lifetime Director Meyer Saltzman. Filling out the golf committee were Fred Cannataro, Marc Paolicelli, Laszlo Pook, Gregg Stone and Aaron Wiebelhaus.

RE/MAX was the presenting sponsor of the tournament. Contributing sponsors were Sanctuary and Shanahan’s. Par Foursome sponsors were Lockton and Trautman & Shreve. See the complete list of sponsors online.

Morgridge Academy at National Jewish Health is a unique, free day school for chronically ill students in kindergarten through eighth grades. Its mission is to provide a safe, friendly and healthy school environment where students succeed academically, medically and socially.