News Releases

Jacksonville, Fla. (March 9, 2021) – With a mission to promote the healthiest generations of children, Nemours Children’s Health System has been selected as Charity of the Day of THE PLAYERS Championship for Wednesday, March 10. As the youth sponsor of the tournament, which runs March 10-14, Nemours is proud to present YOUTH DAYS, which allows up to two youth, ages 15 and under, to be admitted free with a ticketed adult on Tuesday and Wednesday of the tournament.

“Being selected as THE PLAYERS Charity of the Day is an honor for Nemours Children’s Health,” said CEO Dr. R. Lawrence Moss. “Nemours is proud to bring its national caliber expertise and resources to this region. That means when your child’s pediatrician recommends seeing a specialist, for anything from acute illness to cancer care, Nemours will be there to provide world-class specialized care. Nemours’ goal is to create the healthiest generations of children across our country.”

Some Nemours patients will attend the events, and be treated to special moments.

For Christian, 13, who has hemophilia, the game of golf has become a lifeline to gaining his confidence and building his circle of friends. As a referral partner, Nemours referred Christian to Dreams Come True, the First Coast’s locally based dream granting organization, which was founded based on a dream fulfilled at THE PLAYERS nearly 40 years ago. Partnering with Dreams Come True, a special package from THE PLAYERS and Dreams Come True was delivered to Christian’s home in Pensacola, with weeklong credentials for Christian and his parents, a PLAYERS hat, letter from Executive Director Jared Rice and a video message from his favorite PGA TOUR player, Dustin Johnson, inviting him to THE PLAYERS for the entire week.

Christian’s “Dream Day” at THE PLAYERS Championship will take place on Wednesday, March 11, beginning at 9:30 a.m. with an exclusive tour of the PGA TOUR’s Global Home. Following the tour, Christian and his family will make their way to THE PLAYERS Stadium Course to enjoy pre-planned dream activities. The opportunity will include a special behind-the-scenes tour of the championship, including visits to the ShotLink truck, TPC Sawgrass Performance Center and other venues.

Following his Dream Day, Christian and his parents will continue to enjoy complimentary access to THE PLAYERS for the remainder of the week, including VIP access during Saturday’s round to an Island Suite overlooking the 16^th and 17^th holes, courtesy of the team at Nemours Children’s Health System.

Another Nemours patient, Norah, who is 9 years old, sees a number of specialists at Nemours Children’s Specialty Care, Jacksonville. On Wednesday, she and her mom, Megan, will participate in the Scavenger Hunt, where 12 Nemours Gold Squad cutout kids have been placed around the course. When children and teens visit each one, they will be met by Nemours health providers who will have different activities and challenges, including stretching exercises. When participants complete the challenges and take a selfie with as many as the cutouts they can find, they will win prizes at the Nemours booth in THE PLAYERS Welcome Experience.

In keeping with Nemours’ approach to integrate patients and families in designing new spaces, Norah and her mom provided feedback and ideas that were incorporated in the new renovations at THE PLAYERS Lobby at Nemours Specialty Care, Jacksonville, which were made possible thanks to a lead gift of $500,000 from THE PLAYERS. That welcoming space for patients seeking specialty care at Nemours was dedicated in November with its new name. Youths are invited to join Norah in the Scavenger Hunt.

Online, Nemours is providing fun, too. A virtual Kids Zone sponsored by Nemours Children’s Health System will also be part of the fun, with online activities, including coloring and other fun for all ages. Kids and their families are encouraged to visit https://www.theplayers.com/virtual-kids-zone.html and tag @Nemours and @THEPLAYERSChamp as they participate in these virtual activities during the week of the PGA TOUR’s flagship event.

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Nemours is an internationally recognized children's health system that owns and operates the two free-standing children’s hospitals: the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Fla., along with outpatient facilities in five states, delivering pediatric primary, specialty and urgent care. Nemours also powers the world’s most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, KidsHealth.org, and offers on-demand, online video patient visits through Nemours CareConnect. Nemours ReadingBrightstart.org is a program dedicated to preventing reading failure in young children, grounded in Nemours’ understanding that child health and learning are inextricably linked, and that reading level is a strong predictor of adult health.

Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, Nemours provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to families in the communities it serves.

About THE PLAYERS Championship

THE PLAYERS Championship annually combines the strongest field in golf with the world-class venue that is THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Grant Thornton LLP, Optum® and Morgan Stanley are the exclusive Proud Partners of THE PLAYERS. Proceeds from THE PLAYERS benefit Northeast Florida charities and have totaled more than $100 million since it began in 1974 and moved to Ponte Vedra Beach in 1977. For more on THE PLAYERS, visit THEPLAYERS.com. For more on the surrounding areas, visit floridashistoriccoast.com or visitjacksonville.com.