Cancer for College is bringing its inaugural Classy Golf Classic Carolinas to Verdict Ridge Golf & Country Club in Denver, North Carolina on Monday, October 26, with player check-in starting at 10:30 a.m. and a 1 p.m. shotgun start. The tournament, billed as a Game Day for Good, will raise money to support need-based college scholarships, educational experiences, and medical debt relief for cancer survivors pursuing higher education.
The nonprofit has already awarded nearly 250 scholarships totaling more than $1 million to survivors from or attending school in the Carolinas, according to WCCB Charlotte. Both playing and sponsorship opportunities remain available for the event, which blends tailgate traditions and school-pride rivalries with team entry priced at $500 per foursome, according to a Cancer for College Facebook video. All proceeds from the tournament go directly toward Carolinas-based survivors.
A Student Fundraiser That Became a National Charity
Cancer for College's roots trace back to 1994, when founder Craig Pollard hosted a golf tournament followed by a backyard barbecue that raised $500 for the organization's first scholarship. Pollard, a two-time Hodgkin's disease survivor, conceived the charity's business plan as a senior at the University of Southern California's business school, according to Cancer for College. His own cancer battles at ages 15 and 19, along with a 2006 bacterial infection that resulted in the amputation of both feet, shaped the mission behind the organization he built.
Since that first backyard tournament, the nonprofit has awarded more than $8 million in scholarships, along with additional support, to over 2,000 cancer survivors nationwide, per Cancer for College. The organization reports a 98 percent college graduation rate among its scholarship recipients. Actor and comedian Will Ferrell, a college fraternity brother of Pollard's at USC, has served as a celebrity spokesperson for Cancer for College and has been involved with its advisory committee. Ferrell's involvement includes national golf classics and branded fundraising items like sunscreen.
How the Scholarships Work
Cancer for College scholarships are restricted to cancer survivors from households earning $150,000 or less annually who attend or plan to attend an accredited U.S. college, university, or trade school. General scholarship recipients average an annual household income under $50,000.
The aid is structured into $16,000 four-year perpetual national scholarships, paid out at $4,000 annually, for incoming college freshmen, alongside one-time regional awards ranging from $500 to $4,000 funded directly through events, according to Samaritanmag. Cancer for College has set a goal of reaching a $20 million endowment fund, aiming to generate more than $1 million annually in perpetual scholarship payouts.
Why Young Survivors Need the Help
Research underscores why scholarships aimed at younger cancer survivors carry particular weight. A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Cancer found that 50 percent of survivors between ages 18 and 39 suffer severe financial toxicity, or treatment-related financial distress, compared to 40.7 percent of survivors aged 40 to 64 and just 9.6 percent of those 65 and older, according to research archived by the National Institutes of Health. Additional NIH research found that 39 percent of young adult cancer survivors spend more than 10 percent of their income on medical bills, and 44 percent experience credit score declines after diagnosis.
The Host Course
Verdict Ridge Golf & Country Club will host the tournament.
