SIDS Golf Benefit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 4, 2002
Contact: Alexandra Bessent abessent@umm.edu 410-328-9260
Alice Powell 410-706-3091

RETIRED NFL PLAYER LENDS HIS SUPPORT TO RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS ABOUT SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME

The lives of Ken Harvey, a retired Redskins linebacker, and his wife, Janice, were forever changed by SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Thirteen years ago, as new parents, they found their 3-month-old son, Nathaniel, had stopped breathing. He could not be revived, and SIDS was determined to be the cause of death.

"No parent wants to wake up to find that their child is dead, and not really know why he or she died. We want to raise awareness and money so that we can find a cure for SIDS and prevent other families from losing a child to SIDS," says Mr. Harvey, who is the honorary chairperson for the 12th Annual Verizon - Wireless SIDS Golf Invitational.

This tournament, which will be held October 4 at the Turf Valley Resort, benefits the Center for Infant & Child Loss at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Proceeds will be used to help families who've lost a child and also raise public awareness about SIDS and other conditions that cause infant deaths.

The Center for Infant & Child Loss was founded in 1975 as Maryland's Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Information and Counseling Program. More than two decades later, the primary focus of the Center is to provide counseling and support to newly bereaved families. The majority of the Center's families have been impacted by SIDS, but the Center counsels any family who has experienced the sudden, unanticipated loss of a child from infancy to 12 years of age.

Events like this annual golf tournament are important to both the families and the staff at the Center for Infant & Child Loss. It is an opportunity for parents to meet and support others while working to benefit the Center. For the staff, this event gives them an occasion to interact with families, as well as raise funds to support SIDS and child death research, and fund educational programs and literature for newly bereaved families.

The annual golf invitational is the Center for Infant & Child Loss' largest fundraiser and it is touted as one of the area's longest-running and best-run golf tournaments.

On October 4, the day begins at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City at 10 a.m. with a putting contest, followed by lunch at 11. At high noon, the golfers tee-off, and after 18 holes, the event continues into the evening with a reception and auction.

While he is glad to be helping in the effort to raise money and awareness of SIDS, Ken Harvey is not sure how pleased he'll be with his golf performance on the day of the event. He calls himself "a hacker and not a golfer." He adds, "At least it will be good for some laughs" and for raising money for an important cause.

For more information about the tournament or to reach the Center for Infant & Child Loss, call 1-800-808-SIDS.

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This page was last updated on: March 21, 2008.