While the Valley of the Sun plays host to numerous charity tournaments each year, there is one in particular that I look forward to each season, The Links Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament. Celebrating its 5^th consecutive year here in the Valley, Links Fore Leukemia aims to raise and donate funds toward locating a cure for the form of cancer.

Links Fore Leukemia began back in 1996, when leukemia patients Bob Barker and Jim Willis decided to turn their passions for the game of golf into an avenue to benefit leukemia research. Their vision led to the inauguration of Links Fore Leukemia, an annual Texas-based tournament that for the past five years has also been a mainstay in Arizona. Although Willis lost his battle with the disease shortly following the first Links Fore Leukemia tournament, Barker continues to champion the cause and serve as an inspiration for continued efforts to eradicate leukemia.

This year’s event will be returning to Grayhawk Golf Club, the home of the Frys.com Open, for a full day of festivities benefiting one of the best causes around. Since 2005, Links Fore Leukemia has helped raise more than $350,000 for the fight against leukemia and on Monday, June 1, golfers desiring to tee up for the cause can take part in contributing to the search for a cure. Each year, the event attracts great attention and draws more participants (192 took part in 2008, up from the initial 98 who played in the first tourney in 2005) and the growing trend shouldn’t be any different this year.

The 2009 event will showcase: a round of golf on either the Talon or Raptor courses at Grayhawk, $100 worth of merchandise from Van’s Golf Shop, complimentary massages and shoe shining, bottled water and ice cream scattered around the course, a starter kit that includes: a cooler, a towel, golf balls, tee/ball markers, a box lunch, drink tickets, beer on the course, wine for dinner, excellent dinner with awards including a silent and live auction with radio personalities serving as emcees.

There are numerous ways for individuals as well as corporate sponsors to get in on the action, follow this link to learn about sponsorship opportunities in more depth – Links For Leukemia.

To learn more, visit www.lls.org/linksaz.

– Nichole Brophy, Golf Editor

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3. A Round in St. Andrews: May the Bidding Begin