Golf tournament raises $730k for Phoenix Children’s 1 Darn Cool School

(COURTESY DESERT FINANCIAL FOUNDATION)

This year’s Desert Financial Foundation annual golf tournament raised $730,000 for Phoenix Children’s Hospital’s 1 Darn Cool School.

PHOENIX — Desert Financial Foundation hosted its Annual Charity Golf Tournament benefiting 1 Darn Cool School at Phoenix Children’s on Monday at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale.

Since its inception in 1999, the tournament has raised over $8 million to support educational programs for children receiving medical care at Phoenix Children’s.

The 2026 tournament welcomed 38 teams, each paired with a professional golfer, playing a 5-person pro-am scramble and raised $730,000 for 1 Darn Cool School. In total, Desert Financial Foundation, Desert Financial, and its team members have contributed $14.6 million to the program over the past 29 years, including $1.425 million in 2025 alone.

“We are proud to continue supporting this life-changing program and grateful to the teams, professional players, and sponsors who helped make this tournament possible,” stated Ron Amstutz, tournament director and executive vice president of Desert Financial, in a news release. “Their support helps ensure children at Phoenix Children’s can continue learning and feeling a sense of normalcy during treatment.”

A fully accredited K–12 program, 1 Darn Cool School provides classroom and bedside instruction to help students stay engaged academically while undergoing medical care. In 2025, the program delivered nearly 11,000 patient education sessions, supporting children throughout their recovery.

At just 12 years old, Molly’s life changed when what seemed like a simple sports injury turned out to be a rare form of bone cancer, osteosarcoma. Once active and playing soccer, she suddenly found herself facing surgery and 24 rounds of chemotherapy at Phoenix Children’s. While the diagnosis brought fear and sadness, Molly leaned into the care plan created by her medical team, finding comfort in small routines and the unwavering support of her doctors, nurses, teachers, and mental health providers who guided her through every step of treatment.

“I think hope is important to hold onto in hard times,” Molly stated. “Everybody needs hope.”

Tim Harrison, VP of Corporate Partnerships & Special Events for the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation, said Desert Financial’s philanthropy has gone a long way.

“Desert Financial has been an incredible partner in supporting the educational and emotional well-being of our patients,” stated Harrison. “Their continued generosity helps us provide critical academic support that empowers children to keep learning, dreaming, and thriving throughout their treatment.”

The tournament was made possible through the support of numerous sponsors, including Presenting Sponsor Elan Financial Services. Champion Sponsors included Allied Solutions, Arizona Cardinals, Business Data Inc., Corelation, Desert Financial, Fiserv, Franklin Madison, SwitchThink Solutions and United Healthcare. Additional Title Sponsors included Alkami, Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona State University, Cox Business, CSG, Elavon, FlexPrint, Global Credit Union, Iron Mountain Data Centers, MicroAge, NTT, Nuuvia, Vericast and Visa.

Editor’s note: The above was republished from a Desert Financial Foundation news release.