It was a hot, sunny and muggy Saturday morning for late September in Montgomery County.
But there were plenty of smiles, great cheer and golfers ready to take on the links at Panorama Golf Club.
It was the third annual Team Zach & James Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) Golf Tournament, fundraiser put on to fund athletes like 10-year-old Zach and 12-year-old James, who rely on prosthetics to lead active lifestyles.
“It means a lot to me,” Zach said Saturday morning as golfers were beginning their day at the course. “It means a lot because they are supporting me and CAF.”
Zach said golf wasn’t one of favorite sports, but he absolutely loved having the support of his community the cause.
“I just go around in a golf cart,” Zach said of how he supports those supporting him, James and athletes like him.
Although the tournament has only been around a few years, it’s marked on the calendar as a great event to attend every year.
“I’ve been here ever since the beginning,” said Debra Brown, a family friend of Zach’s, on of her participation in the golf tournament. “It’s just been a wonderful tournament for a great cause.”
ABOUT ZACH AND JAMES
“Zach was born with a rare syndrome called TAR syndrome, which stands for Thrombocytopenia absent radius,” Zach’s mother Lauren Harrell said in an interview last month. “Which means he had low blood platelets from birth and the absence of the radius in the forearm. Also associated were his legs were born bent up, so he was born with no knee joints or ankle joints.”
Zach had his legs amputated at 18 months old and walked on his first set of prosthetic legs six weeks later.
While living in California at the time, Lauren and her husband Clint didn’t quite know where to turn for support. A family they knew introduced them to CAF.
“It’s a really great place to have resources and takes away the feeling that you’re out there alone in the world trying to raise this kid,” Lauren Harrell said.
The CAF holds an annual triathlon in San Diego as its biggest fundraiser of the year. The Harrells went to the event and were blown away.
“It really changed our lives to see all these young kids run around and play football and play soccer,” Lauren Harrell said. “They were missing one leg, missing an arm and it never stopped anybody from being out there and having a good time.”
The CAF empowers lives by offering grants for adaptive sports equipment for individuals with physical disabilities to remain active. A pair of running blades are expensive and uncovered by insurance companies. As are wheelchairs that an adaptive athlete might use for a sport like basketball.
Zach received his first pair of running blades at 3 years old. As children grow, they grow out of sets and need replacement. It can get expensive and the CAF is an organization that can help.
When the Harrells moved to Conroe in 2020, Zach met James at the Montgomery County Rodeo and became instant friends. One of James legs was amputated and the pair bonded immediately. James received his first running blade a year ago, according to Lauren Harrell.
A WAY TO RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS
After moving to Texas, the Harrells wanted to remain involved with CAF. A golf tournament was an idea thrown out there and it’s been a hit.
Rick Slaugh, Zach’s grandfather, has helped organize the growing event.
“We started this about four years ago,” Slaugh said. “We came up with the idea to get to CAF for the different things that can be sponsored. All this is great.”
The tournament continues to evolve with its silent and live auction component as well. Among the many sponsors and donations over the past couple years were the Houston Astros.
“This year, we had 90 golfers and last year, we had 62,” Slaugh said. “We’re upping that. Our sponsorships have been great.”
Brown, who met Zach when he was an infant, enjoys the yearly cause.
“My friends are Rick and Nancy Slaugh,” Brown explained. “We found out that Zach had issues when he was born and that was so horribly frightening for their family. We’re just always supporting them.”
Both Slaugh and Brown described Zach as a joy and is always smiling. And Zach has always risen above his physical challenges.
“He was maybe 6-7 months old,” Brown said. “He was in the grass and he picked up a blade of grass with just two little fingers. We couldn’t believe he did that. He’s just unstoppable, he’s the life of the party and he’s very social. He’s just great. He does everything.”
Slaugh said his grandson could brighten anyone’s day in an instant.
Zach loves baseball, soccer and swimming. He’s also a talented singer and loves to act.
“Singing is one of my passions,” Zach said. “I love to sing.”
The event organizers are gracious to Panorama Golf Club for their cooperation.
“They’ve been very helpful and accommodating for what we are trying to do and awareness that we’re trying to have,” Lauren Harrell said. “We really appreciate everything that they’ve done.”
Last year’s golf tournament raised $28 thousand dollars and the goal was to surpass that this year.
According to the golf tournament website, “This coming October, Zach & James along with (their) families plan on attending the CAF triathlon in San Diego. Team Zach & James have supporting athletes, friends and family that compete in the full triathlon; some participate in the run, bike or just the swim.”
