Kawasaki Kids Foundation To Host Arizona Golf Classic
Tournament at Papago Golf Club to Help Save Kids’ Hearts, Cure Kawasaki Disease
Phoenix, AZ - August 1, 2024 - Kawasaki Kids Foundation is hosting its first annual golf classic in April 2025 to help raise awareness of Kawasaki Disease, and save children’s hearts. The Foundation is a support network for families and provides funding to find a cure. While educating the community and health care professionals about this illness.
“This illness is becoming more prevalent across the nation including here in Arizona”, stated Shawn Logan from the Kawasaki Kids Foundation. “We want to shine a light on this illness and help catch the disease in time to save children from developing heart disease”.
Kawasaki Disease is a serious illness characterized by inflammation of blood vessels throughout the body that primarily affects young children and infants. Kawasaki disease is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children. Every year in the United States, 6,000 children are diagnosed and if the disease is not caught in time a child can develop heart disease. This affects 25 percent of children.
Emina Lubovac of Arizona is the mom of two boys, one who suffered from the illness. Her son was diagnosed when he was one-year old. “There is a lack of knowledge and education in the healthcare community, even at hospitals for children. I’m passionate about spreading awareness so that no child gets misdiagnosed or misses the window of opportunity for treatment”, Emina said.
Since their inception in 2013, Kawasaki Kids Foundation has hosted 11 golf tournaments in Colorado, raised over $1M to support families and help fund research for a cure. At least 171 children are saved through early diagnosis due to the foundation’s work and events. They have provided over 600 backpacks to doctors and nurses to distribute to diagnosed children.
“Being a nurse coordinator for the Coronary Clinic, I see these kids first hand when they are diagnosed in the hospital and follow their journey to discharge and see them as an outpatient. Some cases are more severe than others but it is a struggle. This tournament is important to me to help bring awareness of this disease to the area and to bring together the kids that have been affected”. said Kylie Domian of Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
The Kawasaki Classic Golf Tournament - Arizona will be a single-day, scramble style golf tournament held on Monday, April 21, 2025 at Papago Golf Club in Phoenix. Participants can expect a fun-filled day of golf while enjoying a spectacular view and supporting the cause that is helping save a kid’s heart from Kawasaki Disease. “It is a complete honor to be an ambassador for Kawasaki Kids Foundation and the Kawasaki Golf Classic. The Logan Family has been a vital part of getting awareness out and early detection of Kawasaki Disease and I consider them family. They and everyone on the board does an outstanding job”. - Fast Eddie Fernandes, 3X World Long Drive Champion
Go to KawasakiKids.org/
Kawasaki Kids dare to always be brave!