ORANGE, Ohio — A Chagrin Falls native with a goal to help others is raising thousands of dollars for cancer research in the second year of her Hit Fore Hope fundraiser.
Jami Morris is giving back to those in Northeast Ohio who are battling cancer at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland. Hit Fore Hope is hosting nearly 200 volunteers and participates at Beechmont Country Club in Orange, and this year, Jami raised more than $77,000 dollars for cancer research. She expects that number to grow.
Jami thought up the fundraiser after her mother Dana's second cancer diagnosis in 2016. Dana was monitored for four years with her lymphoma, but in March of 2020, doctors advised that it was time for treatment.
The youngest of three, Jamie decided to finish her senior year of high school remotely. She became her mom's caretaker, giving her shots and taking her to and from treatment.
"It's heartbreaking," Dana said. "No child should have to go through what she's been though or what my other children have been through, and that's why she wants to make a difference in our community in the world. I don't want my family to worry about me."
Fast forward to today and Dana has a clean bill of health, but Jami admits she still worries about her best friend. Now, she's using her fundraiser "Hit Fore Hope" to help heal and help others who will also receive a devastating cancer diagnosis.
"I thought I could use my voice through golf to make a difference," Jami said.
"I see her working first thing in the morning 8 a.m. and [she] closes her computer at 11 p.m.," Dana added of her daughter. "It’s an overwhelming feeling. She is passionate, she's always been passionate about what she loves, and the fact that she wants to help others who have been through what we have as a family is overwhelming."
Dana and Jami are swinging into a healthier chapter of their story by helping others with their unbreakable bond.
"She asks me this all of the time: 'Why do you love me so much?'" Jami told us. "And I say, 'You're my mom. I'm supposed to love [you]. You gave me life.'"
To donate, head to hitforehope.com.