The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Golf tourney raises money to help find cure for illness
Funds to benefit pediatric heart transplant research.
The Victory Junior Tour held its inaugural tournament, a junior golf scoreboard ranking points event, on July 24 to July 25 at The Golf Club at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee.
Jeff Amershadian, a longtime veteran of the golfing industry, launched the Victory Junior Tour in Atlanta with a mission to generate awareness and support for children battling chronic illnesses.
“I lost my younger sister Jolie to neuroblastoma and was very affected by watching numerous children suffer and die due to horrific pediatric illnesses. After careers as both a golf professional and investment banker, I thought it was time to utilize my relationships in both arenas to do some good for kids over the next 25-plus years of my career,” said Amershadian.
The goal of the junior tour is to have first-class tournaments for our youth by playing at great venues. The event will provide top instructors and tour players at every event to do a junior clinic. Also, it will also include two PGA Tour Pro-Ams each year to provide an opportunity for the better players to play with a tour player at what may become a premiere event for generating funds for the designated pediatric illnesses.
The first nonprofit organization that the tour will benefit is Marietta-based Enduring Hearts, an organization that raises money for pediatric heart transplant research.
“Enduring Hearts highlights issues that are important for survival for a surprisingly large percentage of our community, since congenital heart disease affects 1 in 100 children,” said Ankur Chatterjee, president and executive director. “Many people are unaware of the prevalence of CHD, which is a common related outcome of heart transplantation. Enduring Hearts is spreading awareness, and funding research to solve these problems.”
The m o ney raised w i ll go directly towards specific research projects to help find the ultimate cure for an illness.
“I want our junior players to have a great experience on the golf course and improve as golfers. More importantly, I think they will learn what is really important in life,” said Ameshadian. “They will be ambassadors of our great game and maybe some of them and their families will want to get involved in helping us find cures to save children’s lives.”
In other news: The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation and Good Sports, a national nonprofit, continue their initiative to keep Georgia kids active through equipment donations to youth sports programs and schools across the state. A total of 20 organizations, selected by the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation Program Committee, received brand new sports equipment, apparel and footwear valued at $113,700 in time for the fall season and new school year. Because of these donations, more than 6,050 children will have the opportunity to participate in various sports and fitness activities.