Golf for Hope History

Golf for Hope was founded by two families who have one very sad thing in common: both have lost a precious family member to a brain tumor. In the Peabody family's case, it was Caroline Peabody, a darling 15-month-old baby, who lost her life to a brain stem tumor after a very short battle. The Ronan family lost Jim, a 39-year-old father, whose diagnosis was the deadliest and most common form of brain tumor, glioblastoma. He lost his very courageous fight after a year and a half.

Caroline's and Jim's stories, though very different, each highlight the need for more treatments for brain tumors of all types. Caroline's story identifies a need for more research on treating tumors in babies and children, particularly brainstem tumors, while Jim's story highlights the rising numbers of glioblastomas, as well as the startling lack of successful treatment options.

It was a chance meeting that started Golf for Hope at Blue Mash. While Tom Healy (Jim's cousin) and Chris Peabody (Caroline's dad) were waiting in line at the Sports Authority in Rockville, Chris's daughter, Lydia, recognized Tom's Race for Hope T-shirt. The two began talking and within minutes, a golf tournament that could raise even more money to support brain cancer research, was formed.

Since its inception, the Golf for Hope at Blue Mash has raised nearly $700,000 for this important cause. Make 2013 an even more successful year and consider participating. It promises to be one of the premier golf outings in the Washington Metro area.