On October 1, 2022, the John Phillip Foundation hosted its 3rd annual golf tournament at Acushnet River Valley Golf Course in honor of John Phillip Mello who unexpectedly passed away in 2017 from Myocarditis. Our foundation was excited to host our flagship event seeing as we had to cancel in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then again in 2021 due to a scheduling conflict.
Unfortunately, although the weather did not cooperate as we would have liked, our dedicated golfers, sponsors and volunteers showed up in the monsoon-like conditions. They all braved the elements, equipped with rain gear, umbrellas, and a great attitude to show their unfettered support for the foundation. It truly does go to show just how much John was loved, admired, and cared for as most golfers refuse to show up to the course with a slight breeze, let alone gale force winds coupled with sideways rain.
The golfers, many of whom have joined us each year, traded in their water-logged clothes for dry clothes and a much-deserved hot meal at the Century House for the second half of our event where our gracious donors made it possible for our team to assemble countless raffle baskets. We were then honored to hear from our guest speaker, Francine Andrea, of the Myocarditis Foundation, who provided us all with updates on the most recent advances surrounding Myocarditis.
At the conclusion of her speech, Francine gave us the incredible news that a research grant would be issued in the name of John Phillip Mello due to our contributions thus far to the Myocarditis Foundation. We cannot thank the Myocarditis Foundation enough for all the work it does to further the cause and garner awareness for this little-known condition. The John Phillip Foundation will continue to be an avid supporter of the Myocarditis Foundation for years to come.