Golf Outing Raises Over $13,200 for Local Breast Health Services

From left to right: Jessica McEwen, vice president and chief administrative officer, MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena; Matt Ritthaler, R.N., supervisor, Alpena Cancer Center; Sue Hunter, event organizer, Lost Lake Woods Club; Victor Morgan, director of finance, MyMichigan Health; Paulette Kallstom, event chair, Lost Lake Woods Club; Linda Perry, event organizer, Lost Lake Woods Club; Steve Hand, manger, imaging services; MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena; Ann Diamond, director, MyMichigan Health Foundation; and Dorothy Sheldon, nurse navigator, Alpena Cancer Center. 

Community members, golfers, sponsors and volunteers came together at Lost Lake Woods Golf Club for the annual Rally for a Cure golf outing. Thanks to their hard work, organizers raised $13,256.00 to support breast health services at MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena.

The event featured an 18-hole golf scramble, contests, raffles and a luncheon. All proceeds will assist with advancing access to breast cancer screening and diagnostic services in Northeast Michigan. This includes providing mammograms, biopsies and other breast health services, while supporting advanced cancer-fighting technologies for individuals throughout the region.

Paulette Kallstrom, event organizer, Rally for a Cure, shared the following, “Each year, I am amazed by the generosity of this community. From our golfers and sponsors to the volunteers who give their time, everyone comes together with a shared purpose. Knowing that the funds raised stay local and help individuals access important breast health services makes this event incredibly meaningful. We are grateful to everyone who helped make this year's Rally for a Cure such a success.”

Kallstrom extended special thanks to Lost Lake Woods Club and its staff, MyMichigan Health Foundation representatives, volunteers, hole sponsors and community supporters whose contributions helped make the event possible. She specifically thanked her right hands, Sue Hunter, Linda Perry and Kim Fleming as well as Sue Davis, Janet Bettaga, Cheryl Bates, Jean West, Mary and Mitch Spring, Donna Failla, Steve Hunter and John Kallstrom for all of their work on the event. She also noted Alcona Motors’ generosity for sponsoring the Hole in One prize. Kallstrom ended, “We have an amazing crew of people! I couldn’t be more thankful or impressed by each and every one of them!”

Since 2010, Rally for a Cure has raised more than $68,500.00 to help ensure local patients have access to breast health services close to home. Funds raised through the event remain in the community, helping remove barriers to care and supporting patients throughout their breast health journey.

Ann Diamond, development director, MyMichigan Health Foundation said, “Rally for a Cure is about more than golf. It’s about supporting friends, neighbors and family members who may need breast health services now or in the future. This event truly makes a difference for our breast health staff and the patients they serve.”

The success of this year’s outing was made possible through the generosity of players, sponsors, donors and volunteers who contributed their time and resources to the cause.

“The impact of the rally extends far beyond a single day on the golf course,” Diamond added. “Every dollar raised helps ensure that patients throughout northeast Michigan have access to vital breast health services close to home. We are deeply grateful to the organizers, sponsors, golfers and volunteers whose generosity continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of local patients and families.”

Those interested in more information on how to support breast health initiatives in Alpena may contact Diamond at (989) 356-7738 or ann.diamond@mymichigan.org.