Teeing off for a good cause

In 2019, 150 golfers, 80 sponsors and 40 volunteers came together at San Diego Country Club to support South Bay’s first new hospital tower in 40 years. More than $225,000 was raised at the 11th annual Sharp Chula Vista Golf Tournament, and in 2020, the first patients were transferred to the expansion.

Bob Sutherland, a South Bay business owner whose family took a lead role as presenting sponsor of the tournament for nine years, explained why this event and its cause are so important.

Proceeds from the tournament benefited the new hospital tower at Sharp Chula Vista, the South Bay’s first new hospital in 40 years. What makes the new tower an exceptional place for this community to receive care?
There is great need for this addition; it is critical to ensuring our ability to care for the South Bay community into the future.

What have you enjoyed most about your involvement with the tournament over the years?
The tournament has been a great source of fundraising for the hospital, and the community has turned out wonderfully to support it. It’s held at a prime facility in South Bay that serves the hospital so nicely because it provides such a quality experience. Sharp staff and volunteers have done an exceptional job of putting it on and they should be very proud.

Is there anything about this particular tournament that was exciting?
Seeing the abundance of people involved with Sharp, the hospital and the hospital tower project that came out to support. Sharp CEO Chris Howard and past Sharp Chula Vista CEO Pablo Velez were there; past CEO Mike Murphy came back to play; Hensel Phelps, the contractor that developed and is building the tower, were major sponsors; and many physicians played. It was just a wonderful turnout. It takes a village, and the village showed up.

How have you and your family’s personal experiences as patients inspired your involvement and generous giving?
We’ve been in over the years for stitches, X-rays, and lumps and bumps when the kids were growing up, but we haven’t spent a lot of time as patients at Sharp Chula Vista. As far as involvement in the hospital is concerned, we do it because it’s important and it has to happen. It’s a privilege to be able to be a part of that.

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