Tournament of Champions raises over $13,000 for the Valley’s uninsured

By Salina Bazurto

The first annual Sage Foundation for Health Tournament of Champions was held on March 27 at the Legacy Golf Resort in Phoenix, Ariz. The winds were light and the sun was shining when 48 players teed off in a “Best Ball” tournament.  The tournament raised over $13,000 to assist individuals without health insurance at one of the Sage Foundation’s nine clinics.

The Sage Foundation for Health, a non-profit 501(c)(3) supporting Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, services over 14,000 patients each year in nine clinics throughout the Phoenix metro area. The Sage Foundation provides care to some the Valley’s most underserved and uninsured populations. The care at these clinics includes: pediatric care, drug and substance abuse treatment, general family medicine, care for women and children at a domestic violence shelter, HIV/AIDS and infectious disease treatment, addiction rehabilitation, and mobile medical care at select locations throughout the Valley for the uninsured, working poor and homeless.

The day progressed with players competing at select holes for the women and men’s longest drives, longest putt, and closest to the pin. Players also had the opportunity to win one of four hole-in-one prizes which included an airfare voucher, lodging in the host city, and two tickets to the Superbowl, World Series, NCAA Final Four, or the Daytona 500.

The players were given a taste of Vegas with an ongoing game of Five Card Stud where cards were dealt at select holes and the winning hand was determined at the reception. Player’s could also take a hand by rolling the dice at the Betting Hole. Players bet $2 to $10 and rolled two oversized dice before teeing off and if their ball came within a seven foot circumference of the hole they won their bet multiplied by the number rolled.

The day closed with an All American BBQ and awards reception. There was a three-way tie for best ball and the tie breaker was based on the most difficult hole determined by the Legacy Golf Course. First place went to an SCNM Board Member team (Wayne Duba, Robert Hopkins, Dr. Paul Mittman, and John Swan). Second place went to a Tournament Sponsor group (Jan DiLoreto, Matt Gendrich, Gary Owen), and an honorable mention went to an SCNM Alumni group (Steve Bescak, Seth Black, Matthew Cavaiola, Lucas Tims).

“We, at the Sage Foundation, are so appreciative of all those who made this first year tournament a success,” stated Edward Phillips, Sage Foundation for Health Executive Director. “In an economy where so many people are struggling, the Sage Foundation is stepping up to make a difference by funding sites that provide care for the uninsured. The tournament helped us accomplish this feat “.

Recognized sponsors for the event include: the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry, RLC Labs, Immuno Laboratories, Standard Homeopathic, Hyland’s, and Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine.