Brad Dal Bon lost his mother, Merrilee, to pancreatic cancer in 2000, and eight years later the same disease took his father, Jim. In 2009, Brad and his family decided to turn that loss into a day of golf, family, and community, with every dollar going to pancreatic cancer research at the Hirshberg Foundation. They have kept showing up ever since, and today Brad and his wife, Amy, continue to host the tournament that has become a family tradition.
On October 4, the 18th Annual Dal Bon Memorial Golf Tournament brought 105 golfers to The Ridge Golf Course in Auburn, California, for a day of friendly competition and camaraderie. With a strong turnout and generous support from local golfers and sponsors, the day underscored the community’s ongoing commitment to advancing pancreatic cancer research and patient support.
Golfers enjoyed a variety of on-course games, including a hole-in-one challenge sponsored by Kia Roseville. After the round, everyone gathered for a taco bar dinner, more than 45 raffle prizes, and four silent auction items, each one another chance to support the Foundation. This year’s tournament raised $7,000, bringing the Dal Bon Memorial’s total contributions to more than $130,000.
For Brad, the purpose has not changed since the early years. “The golf tournament is a way to raise money to fight pancreatic cancer and to keep a constant reminder of how much my parents mean to me,” he said in a 2012 spotlight.
“Honoring my parents isn’t something I do once a year. It’s something I want to keep doing, and this tournament lets us do it in a way that brings people together and gives something back. Everyone who shows up, donates, or supports us helps keep my parents’ memory alive and helps fund research that could help another family.”
The tournament has also become a family tradition. Brad and Amy have raised their sons alongside it and created a community that joins them each year. Brad, a high school football coach, and pillar of the community, has built a tradition that honors his parents and keeps their memory alive.
Eighteen years is a long time to keep a promise. Brad and Amy’s story shows that the fight to cure pancreatic cancer is built from small moments of action. It’s built from a family that refuses to let loss have the last word, and a community of golfers, sponsors, and volunteers who show up year after year. Each tournament has helped fund research that gives future families more time.
If their story inspired you, we invite you to support the Dal Bon Memorial Golf Tournament, share their story, or start a tradition of your own in honor of someone you love. Together, we can keep moving toward better outcomes for patients and their families.
