Play Yellow welcomes John Senden as Brand Ambassador
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (April 29, 2021) – Play Yellow, a program benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals), announced today its newest brand ambassador, two-time PGA TOUR winner John Senden. The Australian native joins fellow TOUR professionals Will McGirt and Will Gordon in support of Play Yellow and its mission to bring the entire golf world together to help the 10 million kids treated at CMN Hospitals each year. John’s efforts for Play Yellow will primarily benefit his local CMN Hospital, Children’s Health in Dallas, TX.
Senden celebrated his 50th birthday earlier this month and will make his PGA TOUR Champions debut this week at the Insperity Invitational in The Woodlands, TX.
The Senden family are passionate supporters of CMN Hospitals and Play Yellow. Their son, Jacob, was rushed to Children’s Medical Center Plano when he was 13 years old with a debilitating headache that scans revealed to be a brain tumor blocking fluid to the rest of his body. Clinicians sped Jacob to Children’s Medical Center Dallas where they were able to drain the fluid. In late April 2017, Jacob began treatment – which included six months of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation – at Children’s Health to shrink the inoperable tumor lodged in his brain. John took a leave from the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season during Jacob’s treatment.
Thanks to the dedicated staff at CMN member hospitals and support of family and friends, Jacob’s treatment was successful. He now receives scans every three months to ensure the tumor isn’t growing. Eventually, that will drop to six months, then once a year and later every two years.
“I am honored to become a National Brand Ambassador for CMN Hospital’s and Play Yellow,” Senden said. “I am so excited to join Jack and Barbara Nicklaus as Play Yellow Ambassadors. The tremendous work that Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals do to help and treat so many children is incredible, including my own son Jacob, who was 13 years of age when diagnosed with a rare malignant Brain Tumor. After spending nine months at Children’s in Dallas, we are so grateful and appreciate for the work they do that is needed to give a child a chance to get healthy again. This was a life changing and traumatic event in our lives. So, this campaign is extremely inspiring to me and makes me very proud to be a passionate supporter for Play Yellow.”
Launched in 2019 alongside Jack and Barbara Nicklaus and CMN Hospitals, Play Yellow strives to bring the entire golf world together and raise the critical funds needed by CMN Hospitals and the patients they serve. Like most nonprofits, children’s hospitals rely on donations. And because 37 million kids in the United States depend on public health insurance programs that don’t reimburse hospitals for the full cost of caring for these patients, the need for donations is even greater. Play Yellow brings golfers together for a good cause.
Play Yellow was inspired by a family friend of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus named Craig Smith who was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma as a young teenager. As Craig battled cancer, Jack and Barbara looked to support him and his family. One way was for Jack to wear a shirt in Craig’s favorite color, yellow, which Craig said brought Jack luck from week to week. Over the years, Jack could be seen wearing yellow on tournament Sundays and major championship Sundays. Who can forget Sunday of the 1986 Masters Tournament when Jack wore a yellow shirt to honor Craig and went on to win his record sixth Green Jacket? Years later, Play Yellow was born.
CMN Hospitals has raised more than $7 billion in unrestricted funds for 170 children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada. Changing kids’ health through children’s hospitals isn’t just about helping those in critical situations — it’s also about the research, preventative care, health and safety education that help build healthier communities. By improving medical treatments, equipment and facilities, children’s hospitals can not only address the most challenging health issues of our day, but also prevent and prepare for those to come. When we change kids’ health, we change the future — for all of us.
###
About Play Yellow
Play Yellow, a program benefitting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, launched alongside Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, brings together the golf community to help the 10 million kids treated at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals every year. Inspired by Jack’s family friend Craig, who was diagnosed with childhood cancer, and his lucky color yellow, Play Yellow engages golfers worldwide in raising critical funds for children’s hospitals. Through special events like Family Golf Day, local tournaments, corporate partners, and Play Yellow Sundays on the PGA TOUR, Play Yellow helps change kids’ health and change the future. For more information, visit www.playyellow.org and follow on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
About Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals that support the health of 10 million kids each year across the U.S. and Canada. Donations go to local hospitals to fund critical life-saving treatments and healthcare services, along with innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, child life services that put kids’ and families’ minds at ease during difficult hospital stays and financial assistance for families who could not otherwise afford these health services. When we improve the health of all children and allow them the opportunity to reach their full potential, we also improve our communities for years to come. Together, we can change kids’ health. Together, we can change the future. To learn about Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and your local children’s hospital, visit cmnhospitals.org.
Media Contact
Ben Parker, Play Yellow, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Mobile: 801-635-8490