SCARBOROUGH — The second annual charity golf tournament, hosted by Waddles For A Cause, will be taking place on Sept. 14 at Nonesuch River Golf Course and will support Maine families dealing with childhood cancer.
Beth Corbeau, a local business owner and one of the event’s organizers, said that last year’s event was successful and reinforced how Maine is a close-knit community.
Registration is open until Sept. 7, she said. Because of social distancing requirements, the tournament will not begin with a shotgun start, and tee times for groups will give players enough space. Masks will be required inside of the clubhouse.
The event is expected to be just as fun as last year’s, Corbeau said, with a raffle and a barbecue.
Organizers of the event will put up posters containing facts about childhood cancer, she said.
Corbeau’s son, Jackson, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia a little under two years ago, Corbeau said. Now 4 years old, Jackson has been in and out of hospitals for treatment, staying at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital for about a month.
During his hospitalization and treatments at the Maine Children’s Cancer Program in Scarborough, Corbeau and her husband met other families going through the same cancer treatment process, some of which were financially struggling.
“I always come from a place where when you feel helpless, help someone else,” she said. “It reminds us of how blessed we are. We have great insurance, flexible schedules, and live close to Maine Children’s Cancer Program.”
Since December of 2019, Waddles for a Cause has raised $25,000 and has helped 15 Maine families, Corbeau said. The name “Waddles” comes from Jackson’s stuffed penguin that he brings to every treatment session.
The COVID-19 situation has created a new set of troubles for families who have children battling cancer, Corbeau said.
“There are a lot of families within the program who lost their jobs or had to be furloughed,” she said. “Along with the loss of jobs comes the loss of insurance, which is a major thing with a child with cancer. Now it’s only one parent who can go to treatment. A lot of times that’s hard for families. Like, if you’re hospitalized for a long time, they’re asking for one family member to stay, instead of switching off. There’s a lot of stress for finances and having a child whose immuno-compromised.”
According to the Waddles For A Cause website, over 60 Maine families a year are affected with childhood cancer diagnoses.
Although dealing with cancer is hard and stressful, members of the community often show eagerness to help, Corbeau said. Many of the teams that participated in last year’s charity golf event have signed up for this year’s.
“The whole day for me last year was an incredible experience,” she said. “Seeing everyone when we got there, I literally lost my breath to see people who supported Maine families.”
To sign up for the event, visit waddlesforacause.com/events/2ndannualwaddlesforacausegolftournament.
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