Making children smile is my hobby, says Barbara Nicklaus
‘Jack and I just feel so blessed that we’ve been able to help children and change their lives,’ said Barbara Nicklaus, who celebrated her 80th birthday on Friday
Aspecial guest dropped by Nicklaus Neighborhood during the third round of the Honda Classic. Barbara nicklaus, co-founder of nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and wife of golf legend Jack Nicklaus, paid a visit to the new venue behind the 18th tee at PGA National Resort & Spa’s Champion Course. One of a handful of new venues at The Honda Classic this year, Nicklaus Neighborhood was designed with children and families in mind. It offers activities for kids and their parents, including a colouring wall, family photos and face painting, family-care suites for diaper-changing and breastfeeding, education on pediatric health, concessions, and tours of the Nicklaus Children’s Dental Mobile Unit. It is expected to draw nearly 10,000 visitors by the time the tournament concludes on Sunday, tournament officials said.
“This the first time of I’ve been here,” Nicklaus said during her brief visit, where she spoke with kids and parents and posed for a group photo. “I’ve been hearing about it. You walk in, and it’s friendly. You know it’s for kids and families, but every time I look around, I see a happy face.”
My hobby is to make children smile, says Nicklaus. Making children smile has been a longtime pursuit of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, who founded the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation 15 years ago in an effort to provide families access to world-class pediatric health care. The North Palm Beach-based nonprofit organisation supports programmes that focus on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood illness as well as other nonprofit programs and projects aimed at pediatric health care and health-related services.
Ithasraisedover$100milliontoadvancepediatric initiatives, and has served children in more than 119 countries through Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, according to the organisation’s website.
“Jack and I just feel so blessed that we’ve been able to help children and change their lives,” said Barbara Nicklaus, who celebrated her 80th birthday on Friday. “We’re not only changing their lives, we’re saving lives. I think the greatest gift of all is the gift of a healthy child. We want every child to be healthy, and we give our best to make it work.”
The Honda Classic has been a key supporter of the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation since it launched in 2004. For more than a decade, the foundation has been the main beneficiary of grants awarded by The Honda Classic, Nicklaus said.
Last year, the foundation was awarded nearly $1.1 million, which was among a record-setting $5.1 million distributed to South Florida charities in 2019 by Children’s Healthcare Charity, Inc., the host organisation of The Honda Classic.
Itmarkedthefourthstraightyearthatthenicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation received an individual grant of over $1 million from The Honda Classic.
“They have been a big boost,” Nicklaus said. “They’re basically what got our hospital started. We owe a lot to the Honda Classic.”