Just Back from Hawaii
Today's blog comes courtesy of a Children's Miracle Network Hospitals veteran. Roger Cook has been with us for about 20 years. He is back in the office following an annual event of ours in Hawaii, and we asked him to share his experience with us.
Guest Author: Roger Cook, Vice President, Entertainment, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
For the past 14 years, thanks to longtime corporate sponsor Ace Hardware, I've enjoyed an annual mid-Winter getaway to Hawaii. Okay, that sounds a little self-serving. But living in Salt Lake City with January temperatures below zero, I am grateful for the Ace Shootout. It's a golf skills event (longest drive, bunker shot, putting contest, etc.) and I love golf. I also get to meet some of the greatest legends of the NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL (my favorite sports in order of appreciation).
The event is made for TV, so it's exciting to watch how the talented broadcast production staff at Children's Miracle Network Hospitals direct the symphony of cameramen, sound and lighting technicians to create a very entertaining show. And to top it all off, the event generated about $750,000 for kids treated in our hospitals.
This year Julius Erving and Clyde Drexler; Bo Jackson and Willie Gault; Greg Maddux and Kevin Millar; and Rob Zamuner and Eric Lindros made up the four two-man teams. For the first time in the event's history, we invited a PGA Tour professional, Rich Beem, to act as the "Mulligan Player." That means he steps in and hits the shot for the team if they're not satisfied with their own performance. He was smooth like butter and actually helped the team that won!
Marriott provided the hotel rooms and donated the golf course (the beautiful Kauai Lagoons in Lihue, Hawaii). One of the highlights was getting to know a young man from Samoa named Hipa. He's currently being treated at Kapi'olani, the Children's Miracle Network hospital in Hawaii.
As for who won … well, you'll just have to tune in and watch! It'll be on the Golf Channel in August, so watch for more information. Okay, back to cold weather now. Thanks Ace Hardware!
