Wichita Open Opener golf scramble to raise money for Blood Cancer United

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) -

Golfers, community leaders and local businesses are invited to tee it up for a cause at the inaugural Wichita Open Opener, which takes place Monday, June 22, at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton.

The charity golf scramble serves as a kickoff to Wichita Open week while raising critical funds for Blood Cancer United – Kansas, helping support patients and families facing blood cancers across the state

“We’re looking forward to filling teams up and making some money for blood cancer,” said Tiffany Stokes, one of the event organizers.

For the past few months, she and six other Kansans have raised more than $411,000 for people fighting cancer, but they fell short of their $500,000 goal – they’re determined to make that goal. They will continue to raise money throughout June.

“Having the opportunity to extend this a little bit to reach $500,000...It’s a big number,” said Marc Shook, a fellow organizer. ”But, if we have the opportunity, let’s go get it. We figured, ‘Why not? Let’s one more big event.’”

The event will begin with check-in at 7:30 a.m. followed by an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. Teams of four can register for $600 and individuals can register for $150. There are sponsorship opportunities also available for businesses looking to support the cause and gain community visibility, Stokes said.

“It’s a great way to get exposure for your company while doing something for a good cause,” Stokes said.

Organizers are currently seeking:

• Hole Sponsors – $150
• Prize Sponsors – $1,000
• Food Sponsors – $2,500
• Tournament Sponsors – $2,500
• Four-person teams – $600
• Individual golfers – $150

All proceeds benefit Blood Cancer United, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting blood cancer patients through financial assistance, education, support services and research initiatives.

What makes this event so special is the collaboration of people who competed against each other in the Visionary of the Year fundraising contest, and now people are partnering to make this event shine, Shook said.

“I think that everybody wanted to win. I think that was a motivation at some point, but I think that this class is a little different. We really wanted to hit a collective number and we really wanted a big fundraising effort and result for families in the Wichita area those services and all that stuff,” Shook said. “Just getting the extra time to be able to give us another month to go and try and find that last $60,000 was very cool, and just seeing everybody coming together to hit it has been pretty cool.”

The Wichita Open has long been recognized as one of the region’s premier golf events, attracting thousands of fans and generating millions of dollars in economic impact for the community. The Wichita Open Opener provides local golfers and businesses an opportunity to celebrate tournament week while helping Kansans affected by blood cancer.

Players can expect a fun morning on one of Kansas’ premier public golf courses, along with contests, prizes, networking opportunities and the satisfaction of knowing their participation is helping local families, Shook said.

EVENT DETAILS

What: Wichita Open Opener Charity Golf Scramble

When: Monday, June 22, 2026

Check-In: 7:30 a.m.

Shotgun Start: 8:30 a.m.

Where: Sand Creek Station Golf Course, 920 Meadowbrook Dr, Newton, KS 67114

Benefiting: Blood Cancer United - Kansas

Together, one swing at a time, the community can help drive toward a future free from blood cancers.

You can find registration information by clicking here.

ADDITIONAL FUNDRAISERS

• Online celebrity auction: https://givebutter.com/text-to-donate-kansas
• Donation page: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/annette-lawless-blood-cancer-united-donations
• Cooking class: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/pasta-cooking-class-with-sur-la-table
• Carriage Crossing Pie & Krispy Kreme BOGO cards sale: www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/carriage-crossing-pies-cards-and-krispy-kreme-doughnuts-cards
• Reverie Coffee and Annette Lawless’ award-winning cinnamon rolls: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/annettes-award-winning-cinnamon-rolls
• ‘Not Today Cancer’ T-shirts made by Wichita’s Front Porch Faith Co.: https://pages.lls.org/voy/mid/wichita26/alawless