Quinn Brady Memorial Swing Against Cancer: new course, same mission

The 2024 Quinn Brady Memorial Swing Against Cancer aims to break new ground and new records this year as the ninth annual golf tournament moves to La Quinta Country Club. Golfers will have a chance to participate in this charity golf tournament and dinner benefiting the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at a course that PGA Tour player Zach Johnson calls "legitimately one of the purest places we play on the PGA Tour."

The golf tournament will be held April 8, with a silent auction opening at 9:30 a.m., brunch for golfers at 10:30 a.m. and a step-aside scramble format for men and women at 1 p.m. Golfers can sign up individually, as a couple or as a foursome at $530 per golfer.

"We have an increased capacity in the La Quinta Country Club ballroom this year, so we are optimistic for the best attendance yet," said tournament co-chair Bill Poland, who also will serve as event emcee. "Last year, we passed the milestone of $1 million raised for cancer research and treatment since the tournament began, and with a new course, more room and an even greater awareness of the center's research efforts, the committee is looking forward to a banner year."

A prostate cancer survivor and USC alumnus, Poland was among the tournament's founders, and he and several other desert residents have received lifesaving and sight-saving oncology treatments at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Some novel treatment methods are available only at Norris or a select few research centers in the United States.

Cancer-free from prostate cancer for a decade, Poland has further experience with cancer treatment at USC Norris. Last year, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He received an "all-clear" in August and is currently undergoing treatment to prevent recurrence. For the next year, he will receive monthly chemo delivered directly into the bladder via catheter, followed by another agent to improve efficacy.

"I've had no side effects at all," he declared about the preventative treatments.

Since its inception in 2015, the tournament's theme has continued to echo the vision of Kenneth T. Norris Jr. — "To make cancer a disease of the past." One of the nation's first eight comprehensive cancer centers, USC Norris celebrated 50 years of innovation this past November.

"We have some of the most brilliant minds in cancer research and in patient care, and often we specialize in the hardest-to-treat cases as well," said USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Director Caryn Leman, Ph.D.

Highlights of the cancer center's accomplishments over the years include designing clinical trials for new drugs and unique combinations of therapies for patients, novel targets and novel drugs in colon cancer cell lines and the development of a liquid biopsy for breast cancer biomarkers to determine the risk of recurrence. And every patient receives whole genome sequencing of DNA and transcriptome analysis.

Those who wish to support the center's innovative research and healing work but aren't golfers may attend the dinner, which begins at 5 p.m. with hosted cocktails. The cost for a dinner-only reservation is $100 per person.

The format of the evening event includes a physician speaker, who will provide updates on the groundbreaking work at the cancer center, and a personal story of a cancer survivor who has received treatment at the center.

This year, hematologist Casey O'Connell, M.D. will share insights into her work at the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. O'Connell is chair of the Lawrence and Janice Kelly Chair in Hematology and director of the USC Gehr Cures: Myeloid Malignancy Program. Tournament officials will announce the patient speaker closer to the date of the event.

For more information about USC Norris, visit uscnorriscancer.usc.edu.

The evening event also features a silent auction with exciting gift baskets, gift certificates, travel packages, spa visits, golf rounds, products and more on which attendees can bid.

Local businesses that want to participate in the event can donate auction items or become one of several levels of sponsors available, ranging from $500 to $25,000.

To register for the Quinn Brady Memorial Swing Against Cancer tournament or view sponsorship opportunities, visit swing24.givesmart.com. For more information, contact Hannah Padilla at (619) 820-1290 or hannah.padilla@med.usc.edu or Bill Poland at (310) 291-7179 or bill@bill-poland.com.

Erika Z. Byrd is a freelance writer and can be reached at erikabyrd.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Quinn Brady Memorial Swing Against Cancer: new course, same mission