The charity event will start at 1 p.m. on April 27 with proceeds going to the Glenn Garcelon Foundation, which raises money to provide financial support for brain tumor patients and their families.
Glenn’s widow, Gail Garcelon, is the president of the foundation. She talked to the American Brain Tumor Association about why she chose to start the program.
“Losing Glenn, my husband of 36 years, was devastating, even though we knew from the day of his GBM diagnosis that we would lose him,” said Gail Garcelon. “We have two daughters and starting the foundation was a way for us to get through our grief.”
She said she wanted to do something that would honor Glenn’s life. He volunteered with many nonprofits and worked for FEMA for 30 years, assisting disaster victims.
A foundation to help others was the best way for his family to honor his spirit.
Gail said they were lucky to have good pensions and great insurance that helped them financially through Glenn’s diagnosis, but they met many that weren’t. That inspired them to focus on financial support for others going through a brain tumor diagnosis.
After starting out as a small non-profit, the work with requests and applications was soon too much to handle. That was when Gail reached out to the American Brain Tumor Association about forming a partnership.
In its inaugural year, the ABTA Financial Assistance Program, supported by the Glenn Garcelon Fund, provided financial assistance grants to over 100 families.
“It’s been kind of a win-win,” said Gail. “We get the help we need to process the applications so we can focus on fundraising and the ABTA is now able to fund grants directly to the patients that need them most.”
Gail said she hopes to see the program expand and grow so it can help more patients.
Part of that is the Glenn Carcelon Foundation Golf Classic. It’s a fun way to get the community involved and raise funds for an important cause.
The event includes a day of golf, a lunch, a raffle, a wine pull and a banquet. Prizes will be given out to the team and the individual with the best attire.
Information on how to get involved, whether it be registering, becoming a sponsor or making a donation, can be found at the Dallas Golf Classic website.
The early bird price of $150 per player will end on April 18. Starting April 19, the late registration will cost $175 per player.
“Generosity is part of everyone’s life,” said Gail. “If someone has the capacity to be generous towards this cause, it will truly make a difference in the lives of brain tumor patients and what they’re going through.”
