11th Annual "Karl Tourney"
Karl Potach Memorial Golf Tournament
Monday, August 18, 2008
Austin Country Club
12:45 p.m. Shotgun Start
Registration begins at 10:00 a.m.
In October of 1994, when Karl was just turning two, he was diagnosed with a rare cancer called Wilms Tumor. He fought his cancer for three years. He had surgeries to remove three tumors and he also underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Karl had a God-given character that allowed him to find good in bad and bring joy and comfort to those around him.

Karl's time of treatment was much less painful in 1994 that it was for children just ten years earlier. Unfortunately, it is still a painful and scary process, especially for someone so young.

The money raised during the Karl Potach Memorial Golf Tournament funds the Karl Potach Foundation and is used to improve the quality of life for current and future pediatric cancer patients, and also work towards a cure. Over $200,000 has been raised. Of that, $115,000 was donated to Children's Cancer Research Fund at the University of Minnesota to forward pediatric cancer research. The Karl Potach Foundation has also donated Bibles and books to area pediatric hospitals, built an aquarium on the pediatric floor at St. Olaf Hospital, and used monies to help families facing the financial strains cancer can bring. A new program was kicked off at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester. It is called "Karl's Pack of Hope" and it's aim is to touch the lives of children facing a battle with cancer. Through the Karl Potach Foundation, backpacks with the "Karl's Pack of Hope" logo are filled with paper, markers, crayons and assorted goodies and given to kids undergoing cancer treatment.

In 1947, the cure rate for childhood cancer was 10%. Because of organizations like CCRF, the cure rate was 60% in 1990, and today it is 80%. But a 80% cure rate means one out of four children with childhood cancer leave behind grieving families, and that's too many.

Through your support, we want to honor Karl's memory by someday finding a cure for all childhood cancers. Thank you for participating in this year's event, but mostly thanks for enabling us to keep Karl's memory alive in this most positive way.