The 2022 Champions 4 Children SWFL (C4C) charity event featuring NFL, NHL, MLB, PGA, Olympic and Collegiate athletes, as well as country music star JT Hodges was held in Fort Myers to support Valerie’s House, Blessings in a Backpack and CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. The weekend-long event featuring golf, a poker tournament, great barbeque, outdoor concert and a fun day of racing Kentucky Derby style, took place May 5 – 7, at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa and other venues across Southwest Florida.
“This event is such a great opportunity to help children in Southwest Florida and it’s amazing to see what it means to our champions to be able to help each year. It’s a very heartfelt event for everyone involved,” said Austin Shanfelter, founder and chairman of C4C.
Some of the stars participating in the 2022 event included pros from Southwest Florida such as former Major League Baseball players Adam Piatt and Bert Blyleven, PGA golfers Nolan Henke and George McNeil, and FGCU wrestling coach Pat Milkovich. Also on hand were former Penn State Nittany Lion and Cincinnati Bengals running back Ki-Jana Carter, the No.1 pick in the 1995 NFL Draft, as well as many other legends.
In its previous eight years, over 2,000 attendees and 100 sponsors have helped raise approximately $600,000. For more information, or to become a sponsor for the 2023 C4C event, please visit champions4childrenswfl.com, or email Champions4ChildrenSWFL@gmail.
About the nonprofit beneficiaries
Valerie’s House is a place where children go for support and comfort after the loss of a family member. Blessings in a Backpack feeds nearly 6,000 school children on the weekends. CureSearch drives innovation to overcome barriers in finding cures for children’s cancer.
About Champions 4 Children SWFL
Founder and chairman Austin Shanfelter; his wife, Pam, who is director of volunteers and events; and daughter, Meghan, who is director of events and communications, created the nonprofit to raise money for local charities by using the C4C event, celebrity athletes and entertainers. Through the first eight years of the event, over 2,000 attendees and 100 sponsors have helped raise approximately $600,000.
