Tournament to benefit paralyzed Islander

Shelter Island Country Club (SICC) will host a nine-hole tournament to benefit Island resident Alex Cannon as he valiantly recovers from a tragic fall.

While tournament details are still being hashed out, SICC’s Board of Trustees asks our members and patrons to circle Oct. 17 on their calendars. Rain date for the tournament is Oct. 18.

“We are deeply moved by the uphill battle Alex faces and we want to help in any way we can,” said SICC President Gordon Cantley. “Holding a benefit tournament can at least make a small difference.”

Mr. Cannon was paralyzed from the shoulders down after falling off the roof of a house he was power washing last November. He’s endured surgeries, on and off infections, bed sores and has difficulty breathing without a ventilator. After spending the first months after the accident at Stony Brook Hospital, he’s been lying prone in a hospital bed in Queens since June. Without health insurance. His medical bills are approaching a staggering $4 million.

Proceeds from the benefit tournament will be directed to Mr. Cannon’s Supplemental Trust fund, which will be used to purchase special medical equipment for Mr. Cannon once he can return home to Shelter Island.

A GoFundMe page has yielded more than $33,000 for the former South Ferry captain. You can read more about Mr. Cannon’s condition and progress, and can make a donation at www.gofundme.com/f/alex-cannon-needs-help-with-medical-expenses.

And, we hope you will join us on Oct. 17 for the tournament.