Of the 60,000 diagnosed with Melanoma each year, over 8,000 will die from this devastating disease. Our mission is to educate golfers, especially juniors, to the risks of long term exposure to the sun, the importance of sunscreen and the importance of routine skin checks resulting in early detection and prevention.

Dean Hedstrom's Story

Dean Hedstrom was born August 6, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan, the third of four boys. He had a life-long passion for sports and found his future in golf. He moved to Largo, Florida in 1976, earned his PGA membership card, and followed his passion to teach the game of golf. He was an accomplished instructor who thoroughly enjoyed working with his students, especially junior golfers.

In April 2005, Dean went to his annual dermatology appointment. A suspicious spot on his back turned out to be Melanoma. After surgical removal, he was told to “Go and enjoy life; you are one of the lucky ones.”

In April 2007, after feeling ill, Dean was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma. The cancer had metastasized to his brain, hip, femur, sacrum, colon and lymph nodes. He fought a long and hard battle enduring severe pain, numerous surgeries and intense treatment but he never once complained. On April 25, 2009, two years and one week after being diagnosed, Dean lost his battle.

Dean’s final lesson is to teach us courage by his example. That he was the ultimate competitor is beyond debate. He fought with everything he had, until his very last breath…

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