Aug. 29 golf tourney will raise funds for cancer research

Family starts a golf tournament to raise funds for cancer research

By Kristen Forbes

The Times, Jul 16, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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An avid sportsman and fisherman, Mike was a diehard Notre Dame football, Chicago Cubs baseball and Chicago Bears football fan. It had always been a dream of his to take his three boys out to Chicago to catch a few games. The November before his death, the trip was realized. The Newton men took in Notre Dame and Bears games and walked around Wrigley Field.

“It was a total dream trip,” Brian says. “You look back and think: So why did we decide to do it this year? It’s the last opportunity we would ever have.”

When it came to bonding with his sons, the golf course was Mike’s scene.

“He belonged to a golf course in Molalla called Arrowhead,” Brian says. “The three of us boys were pretty much raised out there. A lot of our one-on-one time was spent on the golf course. For us, certainly the best way to honor him is to put on a golf tournament.”

The summer before the first tourney, the Newtons reached out to OHSU and connected with its esophageal cancer research program. The family decided to put the money from its foundation into the research program fronted by Dr. Blair Jobe. Not long after the first tournament, Jobe transferred to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Knowing it is one of the leading esophageal cancer research centers in the country, the family opted to have its money follow Jobe to that program.

Following a second golf tournament in 2008, the money raised for the Michael J. Newton Esophageal Cancer Foundation to date is around $53,000.

Sponsorships, golf registration, a silent auction and raffle all provide opportunities for the Newtons to raise money for the cause. Brian admits it’s more difficult to ask people to donate money in tough economic times, but he hopes everyone will recognize the value and necessity of the cancer research to be done.

The third annual Mike Newton Classic Golf Tournament will take place Aug. 29 at the Forest Hills Golf Course. Tournament information and registration forms can be found at www.themjnfoundation.com.

Brian, who lives in Tigard and works at Mentor Graphics in Wilsonville, says running a foundation and organizing golf tournaments can be challenging, but he’s proud to put on a family-friendly tournament for a good cause.

“It’s more of a fun tournament,” Mike says. “Our whole idea is not to go out and have this great first prize that people are getting too serious about. It’s really just a matter of getting out on the golf course and having a good time. The Forest Hills course is really laid back. It’s not uptight. It doesn’t make people uncomfortable. We get a lot of people who don’t play very good golf, and that’s totally fine. We just want people to have fun.”

To his wife, sons and daughters-in-law – Donnie and Natalie – Mike will forever be remembered as a husband, father, Chicago fan and golfer.

“He was always the first to congratulate himself on a good shot,” Brian recalls, laughing. “We’d be playing out in Molalla and there’s no one around and he’d make a good putt and tip his hat to the invisible crowd. He was quite a character.”

Brian’s hope is that another family whose life has been impacted by cancer will hear Mike’s story and feel less alone. To find out more about the foundation and tournament, visit www.themjnfoundation.com or contact Brian at briannewton42@gmail.com or Patrick at newton.pat-rick@gmail.com.

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