The following blog post was written by Southwest LUV Classic & Party Platinum sponsor, Rob Taylor.
A letter from Herb Kelleher more than 20 years ago began my involvement with the Southwest LUV Classic & Party. The passion for the event, which benefits children’s charities, grew for my colleagues and me over the years—we went from simply golfing in the tournament to becoming sponsors so that we could invest directly! Two years ago, our connection to the Southwest LUV Classic & Party and one of this year’s recipients, the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), grew even stronger.
On June 1, 2016, my son and his wife had twins born 10 weeks prematurely in Temple, Texas. We welcomed Caleb and Carly into the world, but were quickly overcome with fear when we found out Carly had a serious heart problem. The doctors told our family she would need to go to the Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for additional treatment. The “Kangaroo Crew” jet, Texas Children’s specialist transport service, transported Carly by helicopter and within three hours, our entire lives had changed drastically. We had to make the tough decision to split the family up. My wife, my daughter-in-law, Caleb, and I stayed in in Temple, while Carly and my son were hours away in Houston.
When my son arrived in Houston, exhausted and overwhelmed, the doctors had already arranged a room for him at the Ronald McDonald House. He was relieved when he found out the Ronald McDonald House family room was down the hall, ensuring he never had to leave the floor that his daughter was on for the next 10 days. The environment the Ronald McDonald House created gave him a peaceful place where he could process the situation and find community with other parents going through similar hardships. Caleb and Carly, now two years old, are happy and healthy. Carly’s heart condition was successfully treated and now just requires frequent checkups.
After experiencing firsthand the impact the Ronald McDonald House has on families like ours, it makes supporting the Southwest LUV Classic & Party so much more meaningful. My wife and I are incredibly grateful to the Ronald McDonald House for taking care of our family, and we are overjoyed to do our part by giving back to RMHC through the Southwest LUV Classic & Party.
The October following my son’s stay at the Ronald McDonald House, my wife walked up to the raffle ticket booth and told me, “These people took care of my son—so I’m going to take care of them.”
We were thrilled to find out that RMHC was one of this year’s recipients of an event we always love to partake in. Our story is just one of the millions that the Southwest LUV Classic & Party has touched through their generous donations to children’s charities across the country. We can’t wait to see what we will be able to accomplish at this year’s event for the recipients!