Washington Informer

Teams competed in a scramble or captains choice format, with prizes given for the longest drive, closest to the pin, and a hole-in-one. The team from Washington, D.C., Solar, won first place with a score of 64. Second place went to the team from The Washington Informer Newspaper with a score of 67, and third place went to the Hardnett team with a score of 68. Some teams included members who were kidney transplant recipients.

“Words can’t describe how happy I am to have played in this tournament. Kidney disease can be cured and people can live, work and play with a transplant. Most important, living donors can make a difference,” said golfer Perry Paylor, a three time kidney transplant recipient.

Another golfer, Gregory Works, who received his kidney transplant in January, played golf for the first time in two years.

“This is humbling for me to be able to play in this tournament here in Prince George’s County and to have the opportunity to get out and meet other people, to get around the course and share with folks my story over the past two to three years,” Works said.

“Going from learning that I might need a new kidney to learning that I was going to have to have one, to having to go out and identifying a donor, and then being able to stand here today…it’s very humbling.”

Olivia Fox, radio personality from Majic 102.3, and Etienne Cromer are both mothers on dialysis who are waiting to be matched with donors. Both women promised to be ready for next year’s tournament. Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson, who has known Cromer since she was 14, spoke about how an event like this can affect the lives of people stricken with kidney disease.

“It inspires hope. A young person like Etienne has to have hope that somewhere out there, there is a compatible donor,” Johnson said.

“Today is sort of inspirational for me. We have two donors here, we have recipients here, and we have people waiting for transplants here, and that’s the face of the African American community.”