THE FIRST ANNUAL HEART FOR CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT BY NIKKI HOFFMAN

The Kids Sake Foundation is a volunteer nonprofit organization that raises money for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and provides financial support to families of children diagnosed with neuroblastoma. One young Florida girl, Malia Jusczyk, inspired her dad to create the Foundation.

In 2011, local physicians Dr. Jay Shaktawat and Dr. Srinivas Attanti became involved with Kids Sake Foundation. Eleven years later, after 26 months of relapsed cancer treatment, Malia tragically lost her fight. As her mom Megan said, “Malia didn’t tell us how to be brave; she showed us how to be.”

Recognizing the need for charitable funding, Dr. Shaktawat and Dr. Attanti created a project to encourage local physicians and others to participate in a fundraising golf tournament at Harbor Hills. They expanded their outreach to include contributing to other charities as well.

With the help of Tom Leimberger, Director of Golf, and Harbor Hills resident Lynn Tracy, the First Annual Heart for Charity Golf Tournament, a 501(C)3 charity, was recently held. The nearly $10,000 raised was donated to local charities such as Community Health Centers, Combat Veterans to Careers, For Kids Sake Foundation, the Miss Leesburg Scholarship program, The Military Order of the Purple Heart, and Beyond the Walls.

Malia’s fight against a devastating illness reminds us that urgent medical research and support of vital charities is not just a hope. It’s a lifeline. The Heart for Charity project commits to supporting those in need through charity golf tournaments that adults and children can enjoy