The Good Samaritan Health Services Foundation held its 18th annual Charity Golf Classic Friday. Tee off was at 11 a.m. at the Rugby Golf Club.

The popular tournament hit its max, with 24 teams 96 people who competed. “We are very, very pleased with the turn-out,” Linda Duchscher, head of the event, said about both the amount of people who signed up this year and the amount of sponsors. “It’s a fun tournament, and it fills up very fast.”

A large number of sponsorships took part this year, with sponsorship prices ranging from $100-$1000. There were a total of 11 $1000 Tournament Sponsors, 11 $500 Platinum Sponsors, 13 $250 Gold Leader Board Sponsors, and 19 $100 Silver Sponsors. Twenty Friend of the Tournament sponsorships were also included, with donations of less than $100 and door prizes. There were 19 team sponsors, as well.

Leevers provided appetizers for registration, including a meat and cheese tray, a fruit tray and a vegetable tray. Prizes for the tournament were sponsored by i design, Hardware Hank, McGuire’s and Envision. The evening meal was prepared by Theresa Wangler and was served around 6 p.m. The award ceremony began at 7 p.m.

The tournament raised funds for the Heart of America Medical Center’s upcoming Cancer Care Center, which is a reason that Duchscher thinks a lot of people participated. “I feel like the community and the surrounding area have both really stepped up. There are a lot of people from our town who want to support [this cause],” she said.

The Cancer Care Center will include two private infusion suites, complete with infusion chairs and smart pads that will allow patients to watch television, movies and surf the Internet while receiving treatment.

There will also be a connecting “Infusion Pharmacy” that will hold hazardous, chemotherapy drugs, as well as a complete Nurses Station in the center.

“We’ve had so many patients that have had to drive so far to get their treatmentsthere’s a need for this in Rugby so that we can have treatments available to our patients without them having to go those distances,” Eric Christenson, pharmacist at Heart of America Clinic, said.

The treatment center will be especially helpful during the winter months when travel for treatment is not the easiest. Having a center in Rugby will eliminate that travel and will allow for in-town patients to receive care close to home, with care providers they are used to.

“We already know these patients,” Christenson said. “They’re our patients.”

Construction for the Cancer Care Center is planned for the fall, with no set starting date yet. It is expected to be done early next year.

“The fact that the foundation is willing to sponsor this is amazing. I am greatly appreciative and so very thankful that Linda and the other members of the board want to sponsor this,” Christenson said.

He added that something like this is so important because without a hospital, there isn’t a true community.

It makes sense, then, that the majority of the players who participated in the tournament were from the Rugby area a community that always comes together for important causes. Players for this tournament also came from The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, one of the largest healthcare coverage and benefits companies.

Sign-ups for next year’s tournament have already started, and expected to fill up quickly.