PORTSMOUTH, Va. – A 5th District Coast Guard member in the Hampton Roads area held the 2nd annual Taylor Hayes Memorial Golf Tournament for his daughter Friday at the Sleepy Hole Golf Course in Suffolk, Va.
Lt. Greg Hayes’ 16-year-old daughter and her friend were killed in an auto accident in May 2008, and he began the memorial tournament to promote seatbelt safety.
Hayes and his 10-year-old son Matthew paired up with another father and son to play in the tournament.
The money raised is used for the Taylor Hayes Memorial Scholarship Fund which provides annual $500 scholarships to Western Branch High School drama students. Last year enough money was raised to provide six years worth of scholarships to deserving students. This year’s special proceeds will be presented to the Ryan Poteet Medical Trust Fund to assist Ryan’s family with medical bills. Ryan suffers from Hajdu-Cheney Syndrome, a debilitating bone disease. He is a 17-year-old boy and has had at least 17 major surgeries to fight this disease.
Taylor would have been in Ryan’s 2011 graduating class. Golf is one of the only sports he can play with this disease.
Lt. Greg Hayes and his wife Tammy describe the purpose of the tournament and Ryan Poteet describes his syndrom and how the money will help.
U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Kendrick
