Ascension St. Vincent’s Foundation will hold its annual Mulligans for the Mission event presented by HNI Healthcare on Sept. 26 and 27. The event at TPC Sawgrass benefits the nonprofit’s Mobile Health Outreach Ministry, which provides quality, compassionate health care services directly to those in need.
The event is a critical cornerstone in funding for this award-winning program, said Virginia Hall, president and chief development officer at Ascension St. Vincent’s Foundation.
Since its inception, Mulligans for the Mission has raised more than $5.6 million for the Mobile Health Outreach Ministry – the only mobile provider of free acute and preventive medical care in Northeast Florida.
“We are thrilled to once again host this annual event that gives back so much to our community,” Hall said. “Through events like these, we bolster support for our most vulnerable neighbors and help provide hope and healing straight to their doorsteps.”
The Mobile Health Outreach Ministry serves residents of Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau and Putnam counties who do not have insurance coverage.
It provides free school physicals and free immunizations and offers both pediatric and adult treatment. It provides medications for diabetes and other disease management. It also supports the elderly in Jacksonville and Putnam County.
“Think of it as a doctor’s office on wheels, out supporting people who don’t have access to care,” Hall said.
The impact of this service is huge, Hall said. More than 12,000 patients are served annually.
“As you can imagine, throughout the pandemic, a lot of people have lost insurance,” Hall said, “and we’ve had even more calls for people needing access to care.”
According to Hall, for every dollar donated, the Mobile Health Outreach Ministry is able to provide about $2.86 worth of care.
This year’s Mulligans for the Mission event starts with a dinner at the TPC Clubhouse at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 26. The event continues at 9 a.m. the next morning, when golfers will tee up on TPC Sawgrass’s famous Stadium course. COVID-19 precautions will be taken in accordance with the CDC’s recommendations at the time of the event.
The signature golf tournament can accommodate up to 122 players, but that’s not the only way to get involved.
“We’ve got some great sponsorship opportunities that we’d love to have people participate in,” said Hall. “It’s a first-class tournament.”
Michael Gonzales, president and CEO of event sponsor HNI Healthcare, said that supporting this tournament aligns with his company’s goal of providing innovative value-based health care.
“We are honored to partner with an organization that is performing the hands-on work needed to create healthy outcomes for our community as a whole,” Gonzales said. “HNI Healthcare knows the innate value of personal health, and Mulligans for the Mission is an excellent opportunity to join together and garner much-needed funds for Ascension St. Vincent’s Foundation and its vital mission.”
HNI Healthcare provides physicians who work at hospitals, known as hospitalists. The company has been the tournament’s title sponsor for three years.
“We just appreciate people signing up to play or to sponsor,” said Hall. “The more help we have, the more patients we can serve in the community.”
For more information, go to givestvincents.org/mulligans-for-the-mission.
For those who need the services provided by the Mobile Health Outreach Ministry, simply call Ascension St. Vincent’s hospital.
