Saline Memorial announces dates for annual golf tournament

BENTON — The Saline Memorial Health Foundation has teamed up with First Security Bank to host its seventh annual Swing Fore Saline Golf Tournament on Thursday, Sept. 9 and Friday, Sept. 10, at Hurricane Golf and Country Club in Bryant. Tournament proceeds will be used to refurbish patient care rooms.[more]

“We’re really looking forward to this year’s events,” said Matt Brumley, SMH Foundation and Ambulance Director. “Our golf tournament filled up quickly the past two years and we can’t thank the community enough for supporting the hospital and Foundation efforts.”

In 2009, the tournament netted over $50,000 to help fund new cardiac monitors for the SMH Ambulance Service.

“It certainly did not take long for our new cardiac monitors to have a positive impact on our community,” said Brumley. “Two hours after putting the monitors on our ambulances, we received a call for a patient that was extremely ill. The paramedic worked quickly to stabilize the patient and was able to obtain the first pre-hospital 12 lead EKG in Saline County because of the new monitors. This proved to be critically important as we were able to provide the Emergency Department staff with a cardiac tracing which until recently was not available in this community.”

The Saline Memorial Health Foundation Golf Committee, which is made up of community leaders and hospital staff, decided the 2010 funds should help refurbish rooms on patient floors which have not been updated since 1992.

“It’s important to match aesthetic beauty of the hospital with the quality of care you receive at SMH, said Chris Williams, Vice President of First Security Bank. “Our goal is to enhance the comfort and experience for patients and their families.”

“We hope to raise enough money at this tournament to finish an entire floor of patient rooms,” said Brumley. “However, we will continue our fundraising efforts throughout the next couple of years until we’ve completed all rooms on the 4th and 5th floors.”

Because of the large community response over the past few years, SMH added an additional flight for the 2010 tournament.

“We will have three total flights this year,” said Brumley. “Golfers will have a chance to play on Thursday, Sept. 9, in addition to the standard Friday flights. We also created a physician challenge on Thursday specifically for physicians and their friends.”

The four-person scramble will begin on Thursday with a 1:30 p.m. flight. The Friday flights will start at 8 a.m., with a second round beginning at 1:30 p.m. Registration fees are $600 for a team or $150 per person.

“Swing for Saline is an event that we look forward to every year,” Williams said. “It is exciting to support a group like the Saline Memorial Health Foundation, and to witness all the good that comes from working together.”

You don’t have to be a golfer to support the cause. In conjunction with the golf tournament, SMH will host Gathering on the Greens (GOTG), an event filled with live music provided by Canvas, appetizers and a silent auction. GOTG is set for Thursday, Sept. 9, at 5:30 p.m., at Hurricane Golf & Country Club. Tickets are $25 per person and free for registered golfers.

To guarantee a team and shirt size, registration forms should be turned in by Friday, Aug. 20. For more information or to register for the tournament, call the Saline Memorial Health Foundation at 501-776-6743 or email matt.brumley@salinememorial.org.