Well folks, it’s been a full year since our last St. Jude tournament, and what a year it’s been!

One of the best things that has happened for my family is that my youngest son, Andrew, 9, completed his chemotherapy. For some of you that didn’t know, Andrew was diagnosed with A.L.L. leukemia in September 2003.

His treatment consisted of chemotherapy every week for three years.

Through all of the hospital stays, fevers, low immune systems, etc., the good Lord has seen us through, and Andrew is now leukemia free.

My wife Robin and I will always be eternally grateful for the excellent care St. Jude gave Andrew and will continue to give him with follow-up checkups.

Many children in the Miss-Lou have received the same care. St. Jude is there for all of the children in the world, regardless of race, creed or sex, and St. Jude is still true to Danny Thomas’ promise, “you will never be asked to pay for treatment not covered by insurance and families without insurance are never asked to pay.”

Having said that, it’s time to get those golf clubs out of the closet and have some fun at our St. Jude golf tournament coming up April 21 at Duncan Park Golf Course.

We’re going to have a lot of fun and raise some money for St. Jude. Our tournament is a 27-hole, 3-man scramble. Players will arrive at the course, eat breakfast and hit the links for the first nine holes of play, then come in for lunch.

After lunch, they’ll go out and play 18 holes, come back in to the clubhouse for dinner, awards and door prizes.

Oh yes, and there’s something new this year — the golf ball drop.

This year we will be selling chances to win a great golf package for the winner and three golfing friends to spend the night at the Paragon Casino in Marksville, La., and a round of golf at the beautiful Tamahka Trails Golf Course.

Chances are $20 each and you can buy as many as you like.

You don’t have to be present to win. Each chance will be a numbered golf ball and after all chances are sold, the golf balls will go up in a helicopter and be dropped out over a green.

The ball that goes in the cup first or is closest to the cup is the winner. Wow, what a prize!

If you are, or have been, a St. Jude patient, please call 601-431-7620 or 1-800-784-1071.

Hole sponsors and door prizes are still needed and greatly appreciated. If you’d like to sponsor a hole or donate a prize, please call Dottie Novak at 601-445-3240 or 107.1 The River at 1-800-784-1071 or me, at 601-431-7620.

Please help us help the children at St. Jude where they are truly “finding cures, saving children.”

Thank you and God bless.

Malcolm Anders is a Natchez resident and the father of a cancer survivor.