Will Strong Open

Thanks for visiting our fundraising page!  We are excited to partner with and support The V Foundation once again this year for The 7th Annual Will Strong Open.  The 7th annual Will Strong Open will take place August 25 and 26, 2023, at Bowling Green Country Club in Bowling Green, KY.  We are excited and ready for another fun weekend.  Over the past six years, The Will Strong Open has raised over $180,000 with all proceeds benefiting THE V FOUNDATION for Cancer Research.  This year in addition to our two days of golf we will be hosting a Pickleball tournament 8/25/2023 with a social event following including a live DJ, food trucks and lots of great giveaways!  All of the tournament details can be found on our website @www.willstrongopen.com.

Will's journey began at the age of 23 when he was diagnosed with Stage 3B Testicular Cancer.  From then on, many days were spent at the doctors offices where Will had numerous tests, scans, blood work and ultimately surgery on September 16, 2016 to remove his right testicle.

Ten days following surgery he began an aggressive chemotherapy regime to shrink the mass in his abdomen.  His chemotherapy regime consisted of four, week long cycles with two weeks "off" between each cycle but a chemo treatment every Tuesday on those "off" weeks.  To say the chemo was grueling was an understatement as by the end of his last cycle he had lost nearly 25 pounds, no hair, no energy or appetite and needed a blood transfusion in order to be "healthy" enough to take his final chemo treatment.  As Christmas time neared he was hopeful that his final scan of the year would show the mass in his abdomen had completely shrunk.  The scan results weren't exactly what he had hoped for as there was a small residual mass in his abdomen with a focus of activity.

Next step was to schedule RPLND (Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection) surgery with Dr. Foster, at Indiana University.  Dr. Foster, recognized as one of the world's authority on the surgical management of testicular cancer performed his RPLND surgery January 25, 2017 and January 27, 2017 he received the news that he had so wanted to hear of 6 months -- all clear!

Since the months of his treatment and surgeries, Will has quickly resumed normalcy of the working life and is overjoyed with moving forward!  The Will Strong Open was started as a way of our family giving back to so many people -- many we knew, many we didn't, that supported all of us, especially Will.  The Will Strong Open is a celebration of Will's journey and all of those battling or who have battled cancer!  

The research the V Foundation funds is critical. By making a donation to The Will Strong Open, you will be supporting carefully vetted, cutting-edge research at prominent cancer centers nationwide.  We are grateful for all of our past sponsors and participants and welcome all to visit our website as there are plenty of opportunities to be involved in our fundraising and help find a cure for cancer!

About the V Foundation for Cancer Research

The V Foundation for Cancer Research was founded in 1993 by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach and ESPN commentator. The Foundation has funded nearly $290 million in cancer research grants nationwide. The V Foundation awards 100 percent of direct donations to cancer research and related programs. The V Foundation’s endowment covers administrative expenses. The Foundation awards peer-reviewed grants through a competitive award process strictly supervised by a Scientific Advisory Committee. For more information on the V Foundation, please visit v.org.