Life Ring Foundation® Partners with Children’s Miracle Network for Fighting Kids Cancer℠ mission Through Play Yellow®
Since 2023 when Charlotte’s Play Yellow® Celebrity Invitational launched, The Life Ring Foundation has had the honor of attending Children’s Miracle Network Hospital’s Play Yellow Experience each year. With the incredible help of our Fighting Kids Cancer Committee and dedicated sponsors/donors, Charlotte’s Play Yellow Celebrity Invitational held in Roanoke, Virginia at Ballyhack Golf Club has proudly surpassed the fundraising minimum to gain entry to the Play Yellow Experience, and is now one of the top Play Yellow tournaments in the country.
Why This Partnership Matters:
The Life Ring Foundation is proud to partner with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals because we share the same goal: helping children receive the care they need at the local level while giving families hope & resources during the hardest moments of their lives. Through the Play Yellow® program, critical funds are raised to support life-saving treatments, advanced research, and compassionate care inside children’s hospitals nationwide. And for us at Life Ring, we are forever grateful for the support from CMN team (Kelli Davis) and Jack and Barbara Nicklaus launching the Play Yellow platform.
Pictured: (October 2023) Life Ring Foundation VP and President Jessica Woolwine & Kelly Woolwine with Board Member Brandon LaCroix alongside Jack Nicklaus.
Carilion Children’s (a part of Carilion Clinic) is a Children’s Miracle Network hospital and is our program partner in providing additional, lifesaving resources to pediatric hematology & oncology unit. You can read more about the Fighting Kids Cancer mission & Carilion Clinic program partnership here.
Pictured: (December 2025) Life Ring Foundation & Fighting Kids Cancer Committee alongside Macy Ware, Program Director of Carilion Children’s – Children’s Miracle Network.
A Powerful Moment of Purpose
One of the most meaningful moments of the experience was meeting Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, whose lifelong commitment to children’s healthcare has shaped the Play Yellow® movement into what it is today. Their passion, humility, and dedication to helping children and families was deeply moving and reminded us why this work matters so much.
The Play Yellow Experience is a gathering that brings together top fundraisers, patient advocates, partners, and celebrity Ambassadors, all united by one mission: improving the lives of children treated at children’s hospitals across the country. At The Life Ring Foundation, this partnership aligns perfectly with our Fighting Kids Cancer℠ mission: ensuring children & families can access top-tier care and stay close to home (in Southwest Virginia region).
Pictured: (May 2025) Jordan Bousman & Fighting Kids Cancer Committee Member Joanna Gruver alongside Ricky Fowler at the Memorial Tournament Presented by Workday.
Throughout the event, we also had the opportunity to connect with other Play Yellow fundraisers, Celebrity Ambassadors like Ricky Fowler and Good Good Golf, and patient advocates who use their voices and platforms to bring awareness and support to children facing serious illness or hospitalizations. Advocates like Lulu Gribbin, who was attacked by a shark and treated at multiple Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, has now started her own Foundation to bring new technology and resources for amputees like herself. Meeting Lulu was exactly what we see in our Life Ring Ambassadors – being relentless and unapologetic in making a positive impact on the world by lifting their voices from personal experiences and making real, urgent change happen.
Pictured(May 2025) Jordan Bousman, Lulu Gribbin, and Joanna Gruver at the Memorial Tournament Presented by Workday.
Pictured: (May 2025) Joanna Gruver and Jordan Bousman with Good Good Golf team at the Memorial Tournament Presented by Workday, an Official PGA Tour Event.
Pictured: (May 2025) Joanna Gruver with Children’s Miracle Network Champion, Ava Clarke.
Looking Ahead with Hope
The annual Play Yellow Experience is more than a meaningful event; it is a reminder of the impact that happens when organizations and individuals come together with purpose and heart. We are grateful to be part of a community that shows up for kids, advocates for families, and believes in brighter tomorrows.
As we continue our mission of Fighting Kids Cancer, we are honored to stand alongside Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Play Yellow®, working together to bring hope, healing, and strength to the children who need it most.
Pictured: (December 2025) Macy Ware, Program Director of Carilion Children’s – Children’s Miracle Networkwith Life Ring Foundation VP of Philanthropy, Jordan Bousman.
WATCH: 2025 Charlotte’s Play Yellow Celebrity Invitational Recap Video (Red Velocity Inc.)
JOIN CHARLOTTE’S PLAY YELLOW CELEBRITY INVITATIONAL JULY 17-18, 2026
Contact: Jordan Bousman jbousman@liferingfoundation.org