GREENSBURG – To say that Tee Off ‘Fore’ Ta-tas was a success hardly describes the magnitude of Friday’s event at North Branch Golf Course. Carol Blasdel said the hospital had received grants for Mammography Assistance for several years from the Susan G. Komen Foundation. When donations dwindled the foundation had to make cuts. Blasdel, Mammography Supervisor at Decatur county Memorial Hospital, said “That’s when our Hospital Foundation came to the rescue.” This was a project of the Hospital Foundation of Decatur County.
The Ta-Ta committee, chaired by Susan Doerflinger Burkhart, got busy and planned an event that will be remembered for years for the merriment and for the lives that will be saved. The money raised will be used to help patients who have little or no insurance be able to afford a mammogram and also cover the costs for reading the images. All proceeds go to the DCMH Mammography Assistance Program.
Blasdel expressed her thanks in the program given to each woman at the Hospital Foundation project, “If you know of anyone who has delayed getting their annual mammogram because they can’t afford it, please help spread the word about this fund by having them call the Radiology Department (812) 663-1157.”
About 20 ‘fore’somes were hoped for, but 42 signed up. Each ‘fore’some could choose their name and the names added to the high spirits of the day: Breast Fiends, The Big Squeezes, Bosom Buddies, The Mammy Grammys, The Honda Headlights, Thanks for the Mammaries, Ladies of Santee, BooBees, Putters for Udders, The Bedazzled Babes, Crystal Coconuts, The Boobsters, Ta-Ta’s of the City and Big or Small Save Them All, and on and on.
The Ta-Ta committee was: Susan Burkhart, Chairperson, Lynzee McDowell, Vicki Rudolf, Carol Blasdel, Jan Ziegenfus, Angela Belter, Jenni Hanna, Cheryl Johnson, Molly Pierson, Jennifer Cutsinger, Shannon Allgeier and Bryan Robbins.
Sponsors included SIHO Insurance Services, Morning Breeze, WTRE 1330 AM, Tina Kramer The Learning GIFT and RBSK Partners PC.
Many donations from individuals and merchants and many vendors and Ta-Ta volunteers made the occasion one to remember. The Women’s Auxiliary of the Hospital gave the Foundation $5,000 for the DCMH Mammography Assistance Program.
The women played nine ‘out of the ordinary’ holes. Examples include the ninth hole when the ladies were to tee off with a provided frying pan and hitting the golf ball baseball style; the Bra Sling Shot was used for hole number two; and the Hula Hoop Survivor Challenge was not easy to do with everyone shaking with laughter. Other holes were played with a croquet mallet, kick balls and tennis rackets. A couple of the holes were played fairly close to the usual way.
Bryan Robbins said The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County and Decatur County Memorial Hospital would like to thank everyone for their support of the Mammogram Assistance Program and game thanks to everyone for the success of the first annual “Tee-Off ‘fore’ Ta-Ta’s.”
The winning teams were DCMH radiology and North Branch. The best dressed team was from Letts Volunteer Fire Dept. “Save Second Base” and the best team name went to the ladies of “Thanks For Squeezing Us In.”
By Pat Smith Daily News