Children suffering from heart disease got the experience of a lifetime this Monday, as San Francisco 49ers quarterback and Turlock’s hometown hero Colin Kaepernick hosted a charity golf event for Camp Taylor – an organization dedicated to helping those with heart disease.
Raising more than $200,000 for Camp Taylor, the event held at Del Rio Country Club in Modesto drew hundreds of people from around California to spend the day golfing and talking to Kaepernick.
“It was spectacular, and probably one of our area’s most successful events,” said Kimberlie Gamino, Executive Director and Founder of Camp Taylor. “It was a great day of golf and giving back. Everyone had a good time.”
With 184 golfers and 335 dinner guests, the day was packed full with children and families enjoying various activities alongside Kaepernick.
“He spent a lot of time with our heart campers,” said Gamino. “We had a lot of great programs and activities for them to do throughout the day besides just golf.”
The funds raised during the event will go towards running camp programs, as well as making a down payment to purchase land that would allow Camp Taylor to own their own campground. The organization currently runs its programs by leasing various facilities throughout the Central Valley.
“The money will help us open our own campground, which will be great because we’re currently very limited in facilities that we can use as we need to be near an emergency room in case of an emergency with one of our campers,” said Gamino.
Kaepernick has been an avid supporter of Camp Taylor since he started his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers. According to Gamino, Kaepernick gave a generous portion of his first check from the NFL to Camp Taylor to help children with heart disease.
“His support is unwavering of our heart warriors,” said Gamino. “We really appreciate everything that he does for us.”
To learn more about Camp Taylor, visit www.kidsheartcamp.org.
