The Gold standard: QHS golfers ban together for birdie fundraiser to honor late father, help brain cancer patients

QUINCY — Naturally, Dr. Mark Gold felt inclined to help his son, Gabriel, with his biology homework.

“It really didn’t work that well,” Gabriel said with a laugh.

His dad’s interest was genuine and understandable. Mark Gold worked as a board certified neurosurgeon for more than 30 years, spending 18 years with the Quincy Medical Group and performing numerous surgeries at Blessing Hospital.

His vast knowledge of the spine, brain and human anatomy made him an unparalleled resource for biology homework, but it created an information overload for a high school student.

“Gabe did better without him,” said his sister, Sophia, shaking her head from side-to-side and chuckling the entire time. “Our dad read way too deep into it.”

Still, Gabriel welcomed the willingness and desire to assist.

“He would do anything for us,” said Gabriel, a junior at Quincy High School and the No. 1 golfer in the Blue Devils’ lineup. “He was always there for support.”

Gabriel and Sophia want to carry that spirit forward.

In the months after their father’s death — Dr. Mark Gold passed away January 6 at the age of 63 — the Gold siblings developed the idea to create a fundraiser through golf to generate support for brain tumor patients and their families.

First, they asked and received full support of their mother, Nicole. Then they pitched the idea to teammates and friends, Saya and Issa Geisendorfer, and the Birdies for Brain Cancer event came to life.

For every birdie made by a golfer on either the QHS boys or girls golf teams, money is raised. Supporters have made pledges through the event’s website, while some have simply donated a set amount. Either way, all money raised by the end of the calendar year goes to the American Brain Tumor Association.

“It came from trying to do a good cause and honor our dad,” said Gabriel, a junior who reached the Class 3A state tournament last fall as an individual. “Since he was a neurosurgeon, he had to deal with that a lot and help those people out and the families going through that. We wanted to do something nice for them.”

Not only did helping the ABTA hit close to home, they realized not many fundraisers are geared toward helping brain cancer patients.

“It’s not as commonly talked about as some of the other forms of cancer,” said Sophia, a sophomore on the QHS girls team who is playing No. 1 after helping the Blue Devils reach the Class AA state tournament as a team last fall.

According to the ABTA, more than 700,000 people in the United States live with a brain tumor and nearly 500 more are diagnosed with a brain tumor daily.

“It does affect a lot of people,” Gabriel said. “It’s just not talked about as much.”

The impact it has had on the Gold family in every regard made this a heartfelt undertaking. When the idea was pitched to the Geisendorfers, there was never any hesitation whether they’d be on board.

“I was like, ‘Sure,’” said Saya, a senior on the girls team.

Added Issa, a freshman on the boys team, “I thought it was a really great idea.”

‘People’s generosity is amazing’

Originally, Gabriel believed the teams would combine for 80 to 100 birdies by the season’s end.

“I think I underestimated,” he said. “The girls have been playing really well.”

His sister had loftier goals.

“I’d say we could make 150,” Sophia said.

The Blue Devils are on pace for that. Through Wednesday’s play, the girls have made 62 birdies and the boys have rolled in 50. With eight combined events remaining in the regular season and postseason play to follow, another 40 birdies is doable.

It should allow the teams to reach their goal of generating $8,000.

“It was previously set to $5,000, but because we reached the halfway point (before the end of August) with so much support from everyone, we decided to raise the goal,” Issa said. “We want to do as much as we can.”

Driving traffic to the website is crucial.

The group partnered with the ABTA to set up a pledge form in which supporters can pledge $1, $3 or $5 for every birdie made. There also is a donation link for those wishing to donate a singular amount. Currently, $3,775 has been raised through donations.

“It’s been amazing,” Gabriel said. “People’s generosity is amazing.”

‘He was just a good person’

Mark Gold wasn’t a golf dad in the technical sense. He didn’t know the mechanics of a golf swing or how to fundamentally help either of his children improve their game.

“He never actually played golf,” Sophia said. “He was there for support.”

He was there to be their dad.

Gabriel and Sophia learned the values of responsibility, integrity and generosity from their father, who devoted his time to his family as much as he did his patients. Mark Gold caddied for both kids during junior tournaments and was present in every aspect of their lives.

“He was just a good person,” Sophia said.

On the course, he wanted his kids to savor the moment and enjoy the game.

“He was really positive, really funny, too,” Gabriel said. “If we had a bad hole or something like that, he’d joke around and not make us feel too bad about it. He had a way of making us feel good about things.”

Said Sophia, “It would take away from the golf part and make it more fun.”

Those playing alongside the Golds noticed it.

“He was really loving,” Saya Geisendorfer said. “He was always around them, taking care of them on the golf course and at their house. He was being their dad.”

Said Issa, “We always saw him helping them out no matter what. If they were in a tough situation on the golf course, he always tried to help them to determine what was best. On and off the golf course, he was always there for them.”

The same held true for his patients.

His family shared a story how Dr. Gold was once told he spent too much time with his patients. His response? “I give the patients all the time I feel they need from me. Period. End of Story.”

It has resonated with his children.

Sophia wants to study medicine and become a neurosurgeon. Gabriel is weighing options between a medical degree or a career in finance. No matter which way they go, the unending support of their father will stay with them.

And the Golds are quite confident their dad would be in full support of this fundraising effort.

“I think he would love it and would love us helping out the brain tumor community,” Gabriel said. “He saw it so much when he was working and how bad it could be for those families and those patients. I think he’d be proud of us for doing this.”

Said Sophia, “He supported other organizations that did similar things. I think he would be really excited about this and really get behind it.”

Both Golds smiled thinking of that.

“This helps the families of the brain tumor patients,” Gabriel said. “But this also helps us in terms of remembering our dad and trying to do something in his name and in his honor for a good cause.”