Children’s Flight of Hope gives VIP experience at Charles Schwab Challenge
Children’s Flight of Hope is a non-profit that focuses on flying kids to and from essential life-saving and life-changing procedures.
One of those families, the Newberrys, whose son Zeke was diagnosed with a rare brain tumour at the age of 3, is from Florida; they have flown every three months from the family’s home in Naples, Fla., to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston for the past two years for treatment in a clinical trial after initially needing monthly flights for treatments.
Zeke’s mother, Courtney, explained the financial burden lifted by the Children’s Flight of Hope on her and other families.
“Zeke has was diagnosed when he was three with cancer, and he’s had multiple surgeries, chemo, and now he’s on a clinical trial that are in Texas, and we live in Florida, and so he has to go every three months to Texas, and that’s a huge burden financially on our family, and to be able to have children’s flight of Hope support us in that way, to come alongside us in this, what has been a difficult decade for us, has been just a huge blessing” said Newberry. “That we wouldn’t be able to financially afford on our own.”
The organization flew Zeke and his family out for a VIP experience at the Charles Schwab Challenge at the Colonial, which included walking to the first hole with Jordan Spieth on Wednesday and an under-the-ropes experience for the tournament.
Zeke explained how excited he was to meet Spieth and get the VIP treatment.
“It’s pretty exciting to get to meet all these people, because I’ve never been to a golf tournament. This is my first one, and I’m really excited because I watch it all the time on TV, now I get to actually experience it,” said Zeke. “I get to speak to Jordan Spieth, and I like Scottie Scheffler, too.”
Zeke’s father, Derek, explained that what Children’s Flight of Hope has done for his family goes far beyond monetary relief.
“When we reached a point where we had exhausted all our local options, the only treatment option available at that point was full body radiation locally, which the doctors said guaranteed he would have had negative cognitive effects, it would have changed who he was,” said Newberry. “So thankfully, because of [CFOH] and the doctors of Texas Children’s, we were able to access other treatments that have been successful for him and they’re really it’s only available because we had the ability to fly to those treatment options and so he is literally the kid he is now, in part because of [CFOH] and making him who he is, for sure.”
Throughout his life, Zeke has flown 68 times with the organization.
President and CEO of CFOH, Pat Nelli, explained how much the organization has grown throughout the years.
“Our ultimate purpose is to serve as many children as possible,” said Nelli. “ Around 2016 was the big push, and to put it in perspective, in 2022 we provided 1300 flights, and last year, we provided almost 2800, so the growth has been very steep. As awareness of us is up and has gotten out, unfortunately, there is a lot of need...we want to reach more supporters. Everything we do is through the kindness of other people and their generosity. So opportunities like this to share our impact are very important.”
Nelli also explained how the organization gets its funds and how those interested can help further its mission.
“Our website has a plethora of information. childrensflightofhope.org, my contact information is on there. Of course, there’s a Donate button on there. We have lots of corporate partners, individual partners, grants, foundations, all fund us, and we’re very grateful for the support of American Airlines and Southwest Airlines as well,” said Nelli.
The brainchild of North Carolina businessman Al Wethington in 1990, the Raleigh, N.C.-based organization has been operating since the ‘90s and has flown approximately 2800 flights for children and their families in 2024.
This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 3:59 PM.
