Tee Up for Brain Tumors

Help Us Make a Difference In The Lives of Brain Tumor Patients and Caregivers! 

Join us for our 2nd Annual Tee Up for Brain Tumors charity event on Sunday, May 7, 2023, from 4:00 - 7:00 PM at Topgolf Virginia Beach. Sign up now through Friday, April 28, 2023.  

• Hours of Topgolf Play
• Food and Fun
• Opportunity to compete against others as a TopContender
• A chance to compete in the Hole-in-One Challenge for $10,000

Tee Up for Brain Tumors is a charity golf event hosted by WINKS – With INtentional Kindness and Support, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working on behalf of brain tumor patients and caregivers in Hampton Roads.

Tee Up for Brain Tumors will help WINKS strengthen connections with the community through a shared goal of improving the lives of others and advance our mission to enhance the quality of life for brain tumor patients and caregivers With INtentional Kindness and Support - no journey is traveled alone!

The funds raised will benefit our Empathy in Action program, which provides need-based support for ordinary and necessary living expenses, resource connections, and other tangible assistance for brain tumor patients and caregivers. 

About WINKS

OUR VISION 

• Lifting the Burdens to Focus on the Fight! WINKS is the only local organization focusing solely on brain tumor patients and caregivers.
• Our working board and volunteers include people who are personally connected to this journey, including survivors, caregivers, a radiation oncologist, nurses, and those who have suffered the tremendous loss of loved ones to this devastating disease.
• We have fully committed to overseeing and implementing our mission: Enhance the quality of life for brain tumor patients and caregivers With INtentional Kindness and Support. 

OUR IMPACT

WINKS awards need-based Empathy in Action Grants and urgent funding requests to patients and caregivers struggling with the financial burdens of a brain tumor diagnosis.  In 2022, WINKS awarded 16 need-based EIA grants and 5 urgent requests, for a total of 22 financial awards.

WINKS distribute “Brain Tumor Power Packs” at local medical facilities to better equip patients and their caregivers to meet the challenges of a brain tumor diagnosis, empower them to make informed decisions about care, and provide information about WINKS’ services and availability to provide support. With a grant from Sentara Healthcare and the generosity of Nothing Bundt Cakes (Chesapeake – Suffolk, VA), Rosie's Gaming Emporium, and the community who contributed to our Amazon Charity List,  we distributed over 100 “Brain Tumor Power Packs” at local medical facilities in 2022. 

Other ways WINKS serves patients and caregivers:

• Facilitate support groups
• Directly support through phone calls and emails
• Connect with resources
• Provide information and resources through our website and social media

Why Support

Unlike some illnesses, people can go a lifetime without knowing a brain tumor patient, as the likelihood of a malignant brain tumor diagnosis is less than 1%. Unfortunately, because people give to causes close to their heart, it can be extremely difficult to rally support. WINKS, with your help, can provide the emotional, logistical, and financial support to help shift that dynamic.  We need YOU to Help Lift The Burdens for these families, so they can Focus on the Fight!

THE FACTS 

• DIAGNOSIS: An estimated 700,000 people are living with a primary brain tumor; roughly 3,600 live in Hampton Roads with another 120 diagnosed annually.
• LIFE-ALTERING IMPACT: More than any other cancer, brain tumors can have lasting and life-altering physical, cognitive, and psychological impacts on a patient’s life.
• FINANCIAL IMPACT: Brain tumors represent the highest per-patient initial cost of care for any cancer group; and the highest annualized mean net costs for last-year-of-life.
• METASTATIC BRAIN TUMORS: Each year, approximately 70,000-170,000 cancer patients are diagnosed with metastatic brain tumors/secondary brain tumors, while ~100,000 will die every year as the result of brain metastases.
• LOSS OF LIFE: More than 18,200 people are estimated to lose their life because of a primary malignant brain tumor/brain cancer in 2022. Pediatric brain tumors are the leading cause of cancer-related death among children and adolescents ages 0-19 years.
• SURVIVAL RATE: For patients with a malignant brain tumor, the five-year relative survival rate is 35.6%. For the most common form of primary malignant brain tumors, glioblastoma, it is only 6.8% and median survival is only 8 months.

To learn more about WINKS, please visit winksbt.org.