What is a good way to find a cure for a rare degenerative genetic  disease?

Well, hosting a benefit golf tournament and dinner dance to raise funds for further research and awareness makes for a good start!

The Van Schoick family, Members of The Georgia Club, is doing just that. On May 15 they will host the 4th Annual golf tournament and Benefit Bash at The Georgia Club to benefit Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA).

Friedreich’s Ataxia affects about 1 out of 50,000 in the US.

“The problem is that the body cannot produce enough of a single protein which is required at the cellular level in the mitochondria. The disease is progressive so each day gets a little harder,” Nelda Van Schoick explains.

She is well aware of the challenges and difficulties of the disease; she and her husband Bob have two daughters, Robbi 29, and Becca 26, who have Friedreich’s Ataxia. Although wheelchair bound since age 14, the girls have not let that slow them down. They even hold college degrees from UGA and Notre Dame.

Robbi, Becca and their sister Katie.

While golf tournaments and evenings filled with dancing and food make for good times,  they also raise money for an important cause. The Van Schoick’s helped raise an impressive $135,000 in research dollars last year from this event and a similar tournament in Texas.

“Fundraising is our way of honoring the lives of our daughters by supporting the advances in research which are bringing treatments, and one day a cure for this disease, which no child deserves to live with,” says Mrs. Van Schoick.

If you would like to lend a hand in helping to cure this disease, come out to The Georgia Club on Friday, May 15 for this event. Golf tournament registration begins at noon with a shotgun start at 1:30 p.m. Put your party hat on for the Benfit Bash at 7 p.m., featuring dinner, drinks, auctions, raffles and music by the Dirk Howell Band and know that the fun you have contributes to a worthy cause.

The loss of American lives in defense of our country gives us pause and makes us appreciate the service that many men and women provide overseas. Particularly hard to digest are the stories of fallen soldiers to whom we have a personal connection with. Such is the case of 1st Sgt. Luke Mercardante, son of  Patrick Mercardante and stepson of Katie Mercardante, both Members at The Georgia Club.

Sgt. Mercardante was killed serving in defense of his country with the United States Marine Coprs in Afghanistan on April 15, 2008. He showed an unending committment to his men and guided them with wisdom and spirit.

“He was our leader, our mentor, our teacher a father figure and our inspiration - the pulse of this battalion,” stated a fellow Marine.

At the suggestion of some of his closest Marine friends, a scholarship fund in Sgt. Mercardante’s name at the Virginia Military Institute was created. The Luke Mercardante Scholarship Fund will support those qualified Marines who strive to emulate Sgt. Mercardante’s dedication and service to his country and the Marine Corps.

A Golf Tournament and Live Auction will be held Thursday, April 16 at The Georgia Club to raise money for the scholarship fund. The golf tournament will be a four-person team scramble event beginning at 12:30 p.m. with a shotgun start.

The motorcycle up for bid at the Live Auction.

The  Awards Ceremony and Live Auction takes place after the golf tournament and features a range of items to bid on from jewelry and artwork to sports memorabilia and motorcycles. The big ticket item is a 70-foot yacht so save up your money and you could be cruising the high seas in the Charmer. Update: Also attending the event as a featured guest speaker will be former Vice Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro.

The MV Charmer yacht for sale at the Live Auction.

For more information on the tournament and auction contact the The Georgia Club Pro Shop at 770-725-8101 or event organizer Jack Halper at 706-353-0001.

Sylvia Tarpley and Dr. James Kim spoke at the Women's Heart Awareness Luncheon

On Friday, February 27 over 30 Members and guests gathered in the Dawgwood Ballroom to learn about keeping their ticker ticking at the Heart Issues Awareness For Women Luncheon. Member Mary Cullerton suggested The Georgia Club host the event in honor of February as American Heart Month.

Members Sylvia Tarpley and Dr. James Kim spoke on their experiences and knowledge about the subject. Sylvia shared the experience of her recent heart blockage with the group, noting that because she acted quickly she sustained little damage to her heart. Everyone happily noted that she looked great and was recovering well.

Dr. James Kim, a cardiologist with St. Mary’s Oconee Heart and Vascular Center, presented 10 Things Women Need to Know About Cardiovascular Health:

1. Cardiovascular Disease kills more women than the next seven causes.
2. Cardiovascular disease kills more women than men.
3. Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) pathology can be different between men and women.
4. Signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease can be different from case to case.
5. Several tests can be used to detect cardiovascular disease.
6. Several treatements are available.
7. Be aware of your risk factors.
8. Aspirin has the biggest benefit for those with the highest risk.
9. Live a heart healthy lifestyle.
10. Go to a doctor you feel comfortable honestly discussing your health with.

Dr. Kim touched on some interesting points and then fielded questions from the audience. He mentioned that 10 things might be too many to remember and offered these three major points those at the luncheon should take away from the presentation:

1. There are more women than men - statistically women will have more heart problems.
2. Ask your doctor questions and do not be bashful - a good doctor will not feel threatened or annoyed by too many questions.
3. Diet and exercise - no one is making you eat those unhealthy foods and avoid exercise. When you do, know that there are consequences.

Finally, the attendees enjoyed a delicious heart healthy meal that Chef Don and the culinary team put together almost completely from the American Heart Association cookbook. The Cranberry Nut  Muffins were a big hit, and Chef Don suggests adding dried cranberries and chopped walnuts to your favorite whole wheat muffin mix to give it a tasty heart healthy boost.

Where can you raise funds for a worthy cause, get a bit of exercise and fresh air and enjoy an evening of fellowship with the community all at the same time? Look no further than the Third Annual Front Porch Foot Race held at The Georgia Club.

The date has been set for Friday, May 22, and several Members are already looking forward to it. Resident and Member Dave Nelson ran the race last year and plans to make another appearance at this year’s event, especially since it has local appeal.

Dave Nelson doesn't let the rain stop him from finishing hard at the 2008 Front Porch Foot Race

“Unlike the Peachtree, when it’s over you can probably walk to a cookout at a neighbor’s house instead of piling onto a MARTA train with a bunch of sweaty strangers,” he points out.

In past years The Georgia Club has organized a post-race poolside dinner, and this year will be no exception. Dinner will be available for purchase so all Members and participants are encouraged to stick around after the winners have been crowned and enjoy quality time with neighbors and friends.

The Georgia Club Foundation sponsors the Front Porch Foot Race to benefit local schools and community organizations. Fill out a Registration Form or visit www.active.com to register, and for more details check out The Front Porch Foot Race on The Georgia Club Foundation’s web page.

The Georgia Club's Sandmen Crew take a break from filling fairway divots. From left are Bob Willoughby, Don Poor, Bob Cullerton, Vic Mixon, Ron Alton, Frank Chandley, Jim Nelson and Nelson Brown. Not pictured was George Otwell who was filling divots on the tees.

(Hum along) Mr. Sandmen, bring me a dream,
Make the grass the best I’ve ever seen….

Nearly 10 Georgia Club Members put in some sweat equity (or make that cold equity since the temperature was in the high 40s) to make The Chancellor’s Course a little bit better come spring. The group took it upon themselves to contact the grounds maintenance crew to see if they could walk the fairways and fill divots on a cold February morning.  One Member concentrated on filling the divots on each tee box.

Member Frank Chandley got the idea because they used to do it at his former Club in Colorado.  He organized his regular Wednesday golf group and they invited a few others to cover the Black Nine of the course.   Course Superintendent John McMullan fixed the group up with a mule-load of sand (the group went through two loads before the day was over) and Frank supplied each crew member with plastic sand buckets and shovels for the task ahead.

The Georgia Club CEO Jim Vanden Berg was thrilled with the Member initiative.  “This time of year is tough,” he commented.  “People don’t see green grass so they don’t fill their divots.  And, since it is cart path only a lot of days, many golfers don’t carry sand with them out into the fairway.”

The Sandmen got a lot out of the project, too.  When asked if they were surprised by the number of divots they were filling, one crew member commented as he was filling a bare spot, “I’m not surprised because we made most of them.”

The Sandmen crew plans to do the other two nine-hole courses in the next few weeks.

Course Superintendent John McMullan and Levi stop by to refill the truck with sand.

Suzanne Yoculan (right) and Jenny Vanden Berg display the 2008 NCAA Championship trophy at a Georgia Club event last summer.

University of Georgia Gymnastics Coach and Georgia Club member Suzanne Yoculan displayed her passion, conviction and authority on the subject of motivation February 12 when she addressed a group of area realtors at The Georgia Club’s annual Elite 50 Dinner.  Known for her outstanding leadership and spirit that has catapulted her teams to win nine national championships in her 25 years at UGA, Coach Yoculan outlined how dealing with adversity and building cohesive teams has made her and her teams successful.

“Many know the popular quote ‘adversity builds character,’ but I say ‘adversity reveals character,’” Yoculan began.  “Character is truly revealed with adversity.”

She continued by saying that to reach your potential you need a cohesive team.  While some of her championship teams won based solely on talent, more of her teams won because there was cohesiveness among the student athletes.

“Good leaders are those who inspire others and take responsibility,” Yoculan continued.  “Leadership needs to come from everyone on the team, not just a team captain,” she continues as a reason she does not designate captains within her gymnastics team.

She continued by breaking down important elements of building a cohesive team including Direction, Leadership, Atmosphere (”the most powerful thing you can say to someone else is ‘I believe in you’”) and Structure.

“Leadership comes from the core,” she finished the evening saying.  “It’s the Golden Retriever Theory.  If you pet them and appreciate them, they will keep coming back and will be inspired to work harder.”

According to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, approximately 200,000 American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. 40,000 of those women will die from the disease.

Those may sound like daunting statistics, but for Bo and Angela Shields, those numbers are motivation.

Angela and Bo Shields

The Shields, along with thousands of other men and women, will walk 60 miles over the course of three days in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. Proceeds from this event will support breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment through Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

The Shields made a promise to participate this year to the friend they sponsored last year, and were even more inspired when they happened upon the 2008 Breast Cancer 3-Day Atlanta walkers last year in Buckhead.

“We were really moved,” said Angela. “The energy was unreal. It was a sea of people of all shapes. It really made us realize that when that many people come together with all of the support behind them from their sponsors, great things are possible.”

This year, Angela and Bo have committed to raising $2,300 each to contribute to the cause. They have been fortunate that breast cancer has not touched their lives too closely, but they consider that all the more reason to get involved.

“These women go through so much on their journey to fight and beat breast cancer. Giving them three days is the very least we can do. We want to show our support,” said Angela.

The event involves quite a bit more time and commitment than just three days. The organization suggests a 6-month training program to prepare, and the couple has already started participating in individual and organized practice walks.

The big weekend comes October 23-25 , but Angela and Bo hope to maximize their support long before then. No donation is too small, so if you would like to contribute to this important cause and help them reach their goals, please visit  Bo or Angela’s donation page.