Ladies golf tourney raises $25K for mobile mammography unit

The West Plains Country Club Ladies Golf Association has presented $25,000 to the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation for its fundraising campaign for a mobile mammography unit. Funds were raised from a special 4 Lady Scramble hosted by the West Plains Country Club Ladies Golf Association at the West Plains Country Club last month with a theme of “Driving Out Breast Cancer.”

“We can’t express our gratitude enough to the ladies of the West Plains Country Club Ladies Golf Association for the heart and soul they poured into making their special tournament a fantastic event,” Josh Reeves, Vice President of Development at Ozarks Healthcare, said. “Their efforts helped us reach quite a few steps closer to our fundraising goal, and more importantly, raised awareness of the importance and value of having the capability to bring mammograms to Ozarks communities.”

Over 100 ladies participated as golfers at the scramble last month, some traveling from areas as far as Jonesboro, Arkansas, to play and show their support for the cause. With the scramble being a themed event, participants decorated their golf carts with tons of pink to show their support for breast cancer awareness. In addition to the scramble, the event featured opportunities to be entered to win door prizes and enjoy a special luncheon at the West Plains Country Club.

“We were thrilled to be able to organize an event for this special cause,” Marge Slayton, West Plains Country Club Ladies Golf Association member and event organizer, said. “Our group had a great time planning this event for a cause that is near and dear to so many individuals’ hearts in our area.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S. (some kinds of skin cancer are the most common). Finding breast cancer early reduces risk of death from the disease by 25-30 percent or more. Women should begin having mammograms yearly at age 40, or earlier if they’re at high risk. Annual mammograms are the best way to detect breast cancer in its earliest, most curable stages. Many women put off getting a mammogram due to inconvenience. Studies also show women who are underinsured or uninsured are 35 percent more likely to have a mammogram offered by a mobile mammography unit versus going to an outpatient setting.

The Ozarks Healthcare Foundation is currently seeking pledges and donations for the campaign from individuals, businesses, and other organizations. Any business or organization interested in making a donation is asked to please call the Ozarks Healthcare Foundation at 417-853-5200 or contact Reeves directly at [email protected]. Individual donations can be collected online at https://www.ozarkshealthcare.com/support-us/foundation/mobile-mammography-unit-campaign/.