Donor Spotlight: Matt Gable and JD Goering
Golfing for a Cause: Merging Passion with Support for the Cancer Wellness Center
Written by Dymond Redd, Marketing & Communication Associate at the Cancer Wellness Center
How you choose to support the Center can be personal – just ask Matt Gable and JD Goering.
Current co-chairs of the Cancer Wellness Center’s Golf Outing, Matt and JD, are excited to combine their passion for the sport with their love of the Center.
Matt initially heard and learned more about the Cancer Wellness Center after being invited to his first Golf Outing through business connections 15 years ago. However, that event’s introduction – and his mother’s own cancer diagnosis – eventually led Matt to become a board member at the Center and co-chair the Golf Outing Committee.
JD recently joined the Golf Outing Committee, after previously becoming involved in the Center’s annual 5kRun/Walk when his mom was diagnosed almost 7 years ago.
“I think the support there was something she couldn’t get anywhere else,” says JD. “Personally, it was understanding and hearing how much the Center helped her that really made it a special place for me.”
Both Matt and JD’s families found solace and community support at the Center following the loss of their mothers to cancer. Their personal connection to the Center and its importance in their lives is why they have stepped up in this leadership role and have reached out to their networks, asking them to support the Golf Outing. So many people are touched by cancer, explaining what the Center does and why it is important is what matters.
For Matt, the different types of programs and services offered at the Center are important not only to those diagnosed with cancer, but also to the family members, children, friends, and caregivers that help patients cope with their diagnosis. JD explained that knowing the next steps after a cancer diagnosis can be hard. The Center is a place you can ask questions, help you wrap your head around what you might need, and direct you to a program, service, or clinician that can provide you that support.
Whether it is the golf outing or another activity else you’re passionate about, events are a wonderful way to show your support and help make a difference.
Matt can recall how inviting two people to the Golf Outing has been life changing.
“I have heard stories from golf participants that said they knew nothing about the Center but played in the Golf Outing and then their family member was diagnosed with cancer, so I referred them to the Center.”
JD also shared,
“It was an easy thing to do in terms of using my time to call my friends, business associates and invite them to this great golf outing and to visit the Center. It’s been a really nice way for me to step out of my day to day and support something that is truly important.”
The Golf Outing has grown exponentially since it first started nearly 20 years ago. On July 29, there will be over 150 golfers between morning and afternoon tee times at Knollwood Club. Proceeds from the Golf Outing help the Cancer Wellness Center provide essential cancer supportive care –free of charge – to nearly 2,000 people each year.
Interested in becoming a Golf Outing Sponsor or registering a foursome? Contact Gail Fradin at gfradin@cancerwellness.org for more information.
