OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Golfing for a cause is exactly what's happening this week at Topgolf.
HopeKids Kansas City is an organization that provides free events for families who have a child with a life-threatening medical condition.
Working with more than 300 families across the Kansas City metro, HopeKids Executive Director, Kerrie Bryant says the need continues to grow.
"We have no capacity as far as how many families we will welcome into our program to serve , so we're growing every single day - we've grown from 330 in two years," Bryant said. "The need here is so great. From families that have children with pedatric cancer to organ transplants to cystic fibrosis, rare genetic chromosomal disorders."
Thursday, April 11, HopeKids is encouraging local businesses to play Topgolf to helping raise money for the nonprofit.
"This fundraiser is what funds our ongoing calendar for the year to serve over 330 Kansas City families," Bryant said.
They're events that helped change the lives of Madison Miller and her family.
At just 9 years old, Madison has been through a lot.
When she was 7 weeks old, she had open heart surgery. It was the first of many surgeries she's experienced in her young life.
"We didn't find out until she was 6 that we have a genetic condition that causes her DNA not to be able to read part of her RNA," Madison's mother, Jessica Millier said. "So that is what's caused her to have such a unique, special way of life."
So far, Madison's had more than 50 hospital stays at Children's Mercy, due to either sickness or surgeries. But Madison keeps fighting.
"When I'm in surgery, I always started to cry but I have a monkey named 'Purple Monkey' and he's always with me wherever I go," Madison said.
Her family is also there, cheering her on and supporting her.
"We want that to reflect her story — that when people look at Madison, they see resilency," Jessica Miller said. "And they see bravery and they see that nothing can stop you from doing what you have in your heart and push forward and do."
Madison said HopeKids Kansas City is like her second family. And Jessica Miller said the organization has helped relieve the day-to-day stress.
"HopeKids allows us to do that now, so our kids are having fun, they get to go out as a family and do stuff — we get to participate in life so they have experiences that their classmates are talking about," Jessica Miller said.
Bryant says they want to be able to provide that day to day joy for the families they serve.
"We're able to lift them up between hospital stays and doctors appointments and the financial constraints that come with a life threatening medical condition," Bryant said. "We're the ones that get to lift them up and help them make them make those memories no matter where they are in their journey."
The fundraiser will be on Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Topgolf in Overland Park. To learn how to sign up, click here.
