Memorial Tennis Tournament to Benefit St. John's Diabetes Fund

The 17th Annual Steve Winograd Memorial Diabetes Tennis Tournament will be held at Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club Friday, July 20 through Sunday, July 22, 2018. Founded by tennis pro Eddie Kolsky in 2001, the tournament has raised over $530,000 to date for the St. John's Hospital Foundation Diabetes Fund.

“I am dedicated to raising money for people with diabetes because my lifelong friend, Steve Winograd, died from this insidious disease,” said Eddie Kolsky. “Playing in the tournament, attending the Sunday night dinner, or making a donation to support the St. John’s Hospital Foundation Diabetes Fund has tremendous impact for people in our community who live with diabetes.”

This year’s tournament is dedicated to the memory of Art Frakt and Dean Stayner, both avid tennis players who played in the tournament for many years.

Funds raised this year will be used to support nutrition education and patient counseling, pay for insulin and supplies for pumps and continuous glucose monitors, and offer financial assistance to local families to send their children to regional diabetes camps.

“We are thrilled that we can help students in our school district with type 1 diabetes attend Camp Hodia,” said Susi Schenk, diabetes education nurse at St. John’s. “This highly regarded overnight camp gives students the chance to share common experiences, meet others with diabetes, and form meaningful friendships.”

The three-day doubles tournament concludes on Sunday at 6:00 pm with a dinner that features remarks by guest speaker Tom Chapman, who serves on the International Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the board of ViaCyte, a stem cell encapsulation company working to free type 1 and 2 diabetic patients from long-term insulin dependence. The dinner also incorporates a silent and live auction, with items including golf and tennis lessons, guided fly-fishing trips, chef catered dinners, local experiences, and dining gift certificates.

Teams in the tournament can be mixed, women's, men's, or parent/child. The cost to participate is $100 per person, and $50 to play in a second category. Breakfast throughout the weekend is provided by The Bunnery, and Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club (JHG&T) sponsors lunch for players and spectators. Sunday's dinner, also generously sponsored by JHG&T, is complimentary for players and $50 for the public. Children 12 and under eat at no charge.

Tournament registration and dinner tickets are available by calling 739-7517 or online at www.StJohnsHospitalFoundation.org/tennis2018. Registration deadline is Wednesday, July 18.

The St. John’s Medical Center diabetes education program reduces the number of hospital admissions and helps prevent complications from diabetes, including heart disease and blindness. For more information about St. John's Diabetes Education services, visit www.tetonhospital.org/diabetes or call 307.733.7222.

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Media contact: Karen Connelly, 307.739.7380, kconnelly@tetonhospital.org.

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S MEDICAL CENTER

St. John's Health in Jackson, Wyoming, offers patient-centered clinical excellence and community wellness services through a full-service hospital, primary care, and specialty physician practices, and a long-term care Living Center.

ABOUT ST. JOHN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

The mission of the St. John’s Hospital Foundation is to secure philanthropic support to advance the mission and strategic objectives of St. John’s Medical Center, including patient-centered care, clinical excellence, and community wellness. For more information about the Foundation, please contact John Goettler at 307.739.7516 or jgoettler@tetonhospital.org.