Children’s of Alabama will celebrate the 11th annual Tee Off Fore a Cure weekend on March 11-12. The pre-party and silent auction will open the weekend at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at the Wash House, located at 17111 Scenic Highway 98. On Saturday morning, golfers will gather for the tournament and fourth annual Gracie’s Golf Ball Drop at Lakewood Golf Club (1 Grand Avenue).

Admission to Friday’s pre-party is complimentary to participating golfers, donors, sponsors, volunteers and their guests. Admission for all other attendees is $25 per person and includes heavy hors d’oeuvres and beverages provided by the Wash House. Pre-party guests can enjoy live music and bid on upscale silent auction items throughout the evening focusing on coastal artists, travel and local

businesses. More auction items will be announced on the event’s Facebook page (facebook.com/TeeOffForeACure).

Saturday’s golf tournament will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start and a four-man scramble format. Lakewood members can register for $99 per golfer or $300 per team. Non-member registration fees are $200 per golfer and $800 per team.

Immediately following the tournament, up to 5,000 presold, numbered golf balls will be suspended in the air and dropped over a hole at Lakewood for Gracie’s Golf Ball Drop fundraiser. The first ball in or closest to the hole will win 25 percent of the proceeds, or as much as $5,000. Participants do not have to be present to win and anyone may purchase golf balls through the event website listed below.

The theme, “Beating Cancer with Grace,” honors Frances Grace Hirs, a 16-year-old Fairhope girl who has battled cancer for most of her life. She has been the inspiration for this event for the past 10 years. Hirs first fought cancer as a toddler, and at 9 years old had a relapse. In February 2013, she was diagnosed for the third time with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Hirs, along with her

parents and Lakewood staff, have invested years into raising money and creating awareness for the cancer clinic at Children's of Alabama, the state’s only freestanding pediatric medical facility. Proceeds from the events benefit the Alabama Centers for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders (ACCCBD) at Children's of Alabama. For more details or to register for the golf tournament contact Kerrie Benson, Children's development associate, at 251-610-4969, or visit give.childrensal.org/teeoff.

Over the past 10 years, Tee Off Fore a Cure has raised more than $660,000 for cancer research at Children's. Children from Mobile and Baldwin counties made more than 2,000 visits to the hospital last year. Over 95 percent of all Alabama pediatric cancer patients are treated at Children's of Alabama.