BIFMC Golf Invitational Raises Thousands for Free Health Care May 28, 2019

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C. – Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic (BIFMC), a non-profit organization that provides free health care to uninsured, low income adults who live or work on Johns, James, & Wadmalaw Islands or Folly Beach, hosted their 12th annual Golf Invitational fundraiser on May 13, 2019 at the Kiawah Island Club Cassique golf course. The tournament is the largest fundraiser of the year for BIFMC, and provides the operational costs for hundreds of free patient visits at the clinic. [Find More Photos from the Event Here]

The golf tournament brought in over 100 players this year, supported by donors and sponsors from across the lowcountry community. The day began with a luncheon at noon, followed by a shotgun start at 12:30pm. Following the Invitational, players and volunteers gathered for a cocktail hour, silent auction, buffet dinner and awards ceremony. All proceeds for the event support the medical needs of uninsured adults across the Barrier Islands; an estimated 22 percent of residents who live or work on Johns, Wadmalaw and James Islands as well as Folly Beach and cannot pay for health insurance. The clinic provides free primary care and urgent care, including lab tests and imaging, gynecology, dermatology, psychiatry and more, helping patients address medical needs from a common cold to chronic diseases including diabetes, hypertension, coronary disease and depression.

“The clinic is fully funded through community donations, grants and fundraisers,” says Brenda Falls, BIFMC Director. “The annual golf invitational, hosted on Kiawah Island, is our number one fundraiser, making upward of one-third of our total operating budget, with eighty-two percent of each dollar raised going directly towards patient care.”

Since opening its doors in 2008, BIFMC has provided more than 45,000 free office visits to the deserving residents and workers in the community who may not have otherwise been able to see a doctor. The Clinic recently build a brand new, 7-exam room facility to keep up with the growing demand for services, and has extended their eligibility to uninsured adults who live or work on Folly Beach as of April 1st.

The event’s Title Sponsor was listed at Capital Bank, with Presenting Sponsors Kiawah Island Real Estate and the Town of Kiawah Island, including additional sponsorships by U.S. Charitable Trust, Andell Inn, Buist Byars & Taylor and NW Freshfields, LLC.  Next year’s 13th Annual Golf Invitational will take place on Monday, May 11th 2020 at the Country Club of Charleston.

Please find our full list of sponsors listed below.

You can make a gift to support free health care at Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic here.

About Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic (BIFMC) is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization that provides a medical home and continuing primary health care to uninsured adults living or below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level of Johns, James & Wadmalaw Islands or Folly Beach. By implementing the free clinic model of low-cost, volunteer-driven medical care, BIFMC is creating healthier workers and a healthier community. The clinic covers five medical specialties: primary care, orthopedic surgery, dermatology, ophthalmology and gynecology.

About The Kiawah Island Club

The Kiawah Island Club is a private membership club available to Kiawah property owners. The club includes two acclaimed golf courses, Cassique and The River Course. For more information, visit kiawahislandclub.com.

About Cassique

Cassique’s 7,050-yard golf course ranges through maritime forests and along marshes where the Kiawah River meets the Atlantic Ocean. Since its opening in 2000, the Tom Watson-designed course has garnered numerous accolades and showcases the dramatic flare that has punctuated Watson’s playing career. Watson’s first solo design in North America, Cassique benefits from lessons learned en route to five British Open Championships. With its walkable layout, the par-72 links-style course is reminiscent of tracts found in Scotland and Ireland. Like those classic seaside settings, Cassique offers little protection from ocean winds, so Watson fashioned holes that could be played in numerous ways depending upon the conditions and the creativity of the golfer.

Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic is a free clinic in Charleston, SC, that provides free medical care to eligible patients, just like any family practitioner or internist. The Free Clinic serves uninsured adults living at or below 200 % of the Federal poverty level who live or work on Johns, James, & Wadmalaw Island or Folly Beach. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.