Nemours Children’s Health marked the start of THE PLAYERS Championship on Tuesday, March 10, with the official opening of its Kids Zone.
Students from Andrew Robinson Elementary School in Jacksonville gathered just outside the main entrance and, led by Dr. R. Lawrence Moss, counted down from 10. Then, Moss and THE PLAYERS Championship Executive Director Lee Smith held open the doors and the children rushed into the Kids Zone.
Moss is president and CEO for Nemours Children’s Health, which is the official youth sponsor for THE PLAYERS.
“Nemours is once again super excited to be out here at THE PLAYERS Championship,” said Moss. “Our relationship with The PGA TOUR is tremendous, and it really exemplifies who Nemours is. Nemours is about creating health, not just treating disease. And golf is all about health.”
The Kids Zone is a facility dedicated to fun for children during the tournament. It also gives parents a chance to pause and rest in their quest to see the top golfers in action. Tuesday, the students quickly gathered around a variety of interactive attractions, like the life-size Operation game, a coloring wall, a photo booth, putting greens, a crane claw machine, video golfing games similar to Wii and more.
“It’s in the DNA of THE PLAYERS Championship to make a positive impact in the communities in which we play, and Nemours Children’s Health and the work that they do with families and children in this area is second to none,” said Smith. “So, it’s just a great opportunity for two organizations to get together and really make a big, positive impact in the community here.”
Joining Moss and Smith for the festivities were leaders from Blessings in a Backpack and Nemours.
The day got started right with Nemours Sports Medicine Coordinator Caitlin Schlosser and another athletic trainer leading the students in some morning stretching and exercise. After spending time at the Kids Zone, the students had a chance to watch professional golfers during their practice round and then visited the Autograph Zones.
On Friday, March 13, Nemours will host “Tee Off to Reading” in the Kids Zone. The focus will be learning, early childhood development and kindergarten readiness, and the children will participate in interactive storytelling, movement and exploration. Nemours’ NFL Brand Ambassador Brian Thomas Jr. and Jaxson de Ville will join the fun.
The Kids Zone is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
