Duke Children’s Dedicates Room for Birdies for Babies

DURHAM – On Wednesday, members of the Duke men’s and women’s golf programs gathered at the Duke Children’s Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units for a Birdies for Babies Room dedication.

The Birdies for Babies program recently reached the $100,000 mark of earnings over the last six years.  With the milestone, the Duke Children’s Hospital dedicated a room for the program.  Members of both teams gathered at the hospital and were presented with a plaque commemorating the program’s earnings.  The team and staff took tours of the neonatal and pediatric units and saw the room that will be dedicated for Birdies for Babies.      

“The Duke Neonatal Intensive Care Team is honored and thrilled by the partnership we’ve had with the Duke golf teams over the past six years,” said Dr. Michael Cotton, Division of Pediatric Neonatology at Duke Children’s Hospital.  “The money they’ve raised has helped to optimize the care we give to Duke’s youngest patients.  It was so special to be able to introduce the players and coaches to the babies and more of our Team. The Coaches, the Golfers, and their sponsors, are all TRUE CHAMPIONS, and we consider them members of our NICU family. We’re so proud to have the Birdies for Babies name on our care by parent room.”

Six years ago, former women’s golf national champion Virginia Elena Carta created the program with the help of George Grody and the Duke Children’s Hospital.  The program reached $100,000, after raising $10,665 this fall.  

Those looking to support Duke’s partnership with Duke Children’s can make pledges per birdie.  Pledges will start at $0.50 and high pledge increments are welcome.  If the Blue Devils register an eagle (counts as two birdies), albatross (three birdies) and hole-in-one (four birdies) they will count as stated.

The two teams will be off until February when the women’s team will travel to the Bahamas for the Nexus College Invitational Feb. 13-15.  The men’s team will open the spring Feb. 26-28 at the Dorado Beach Collegiate in Dorado, Puerto Rico.  

 

The creation of the program was spearheaded by Carta.  A native of Udine, Italy, Carta was a four-time All-ACC selection and the 2016…