The Merrill Lynch Shootout was founded in 1989 by Greg Norman to help children who suffer from disease or social difficulties.

Thanks to the support and loyalty of title sponsor Merrill Lynch, corporate sponsors AIG, Chrysler, Franklin Templeton Investments, Gulfstream, MacGregor, WCI Communities, Inc., and The Ritz-Carlton; event volunteers; and the many fans from the Southwest Florida community, the Merrill Lynch Shootout has contributed millions to deserving charities over the past 18 years.

Now in it's 19th year, the event will again benefit the CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation, as well as other worthy charities.

CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation is leading the search to cure childhood cancer.

The Foundation supports the work of the most prestigious childhood cancer treatment and research centers in North America, the Children's Oncology Group (COG).

This distinguished team is at work in the laboratory, conducting research on the biology of cancer cells, to discover the reasons cancer occurs in children and to develop new treatments designed to destroy cancer cells, and procedures which can correct or overcome the malignant behavior of cancer cells.

These physician-scientists are also at the bedside, offering daily care for children with cancer -- expert diagnosis, state-of-the-art treatment, and compassionate supportive care.

Information about each patient is sent to a central database. When effective new treatment strategies are confirmed, they are shared with all the members of the network and the scientific findings are published in international medical journals so they are available to physicians everywhere who treat children and young adults with cancer.

Such cooperative research has produced remarkable research progress. Forty years ago, cancer was almost always fatal. But of the children diagnosed today, 75 percent or more will be alive and well five years from now.

However, the bad news is that cancer still kills more children than any other disease. So the research efforts must be intensified. Everything now known about curing children of cancer has resulted from research.

In addition to funding life-saving research, the National Childhood Cancer Foundation promotes education and advocacy for the needs of children with cancer, in the belief that children with cancer and research on childhood cancer deserve higher national priority. Through the Foundation fellowship program, young physicians are encouraged to pursue careers in childhood cancer care, research and teaching.