When Joe Douress organized the Sean M. Morris Benefit in April 1992, he could not have predicted the event would grow into one of the largest charity golf tournaments in the region. Now in its 25th year, the Heroes Tournament has raised nearly $400,000 for children with cancer and for college scholarships awarded to local high school seniors planning to pursue careers in law enforcement or criminal justice. More than 200 golfers and dozens of volunteers will participate on May 28 at Green Pond Country Club in Bethlehem Twp., PA.

Douress started the tournament in 1992 as a tribute to his 12-year-old nephew, Sean Michael Morris, who succumbed to leukemia. When his friend, neighbor and avid supporter of the tournament, Barry L. Bush, a FBI special agent, was tragically killed in the line of duty in April 2007, Douress approached the Bush family with the idea of organizing a second tournament in Barry’s memory. The tournament’s name changed to the Heroes Tournament that year and The Barry L. Bush Memorial, which awards college scholarships, was established as a beneficiary of the event. .

“One great day of golf, two great causes”–this is how Douress, of Forks Twp., describes the charity golf tournament, which fittingly takes place every Memorial Day weekend. Since its inception, the tournament has proudly supported Ronald McDonald Camp, a camp for kids with cancer held each August in the Poconos.

“Ronald McDonald Camp provides a supportive and nurturing environment for children with cancer and their siblings from the Lehigh and Delaware valleys and surrounding areas,” said Cindy Candela-Ryan, director, Ronald McDonald Camp. “This one week sleep-away camp is only made possible through the generous support from the community. We are so grateful for the continued support from the Heroes Tournament.”

To honor “heroes of all shapes and sizes,” the tournament’s beneficiaries also include the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Research, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Best Buddies.

This year’s event will be held on Saturday, May 28, at Green Pond Country Club, located in Bethlehem Township, Pa. The entry fee is $135 per person, which includes greens fee, cart, meals, golf shirts, beverages and prizes. There are two tee times—one at 8 a.m. and another at 2 p.m.

“We’re doing some really special things to reach our goal of $25,000 for our 25th year,” said Douress. “One hundred percent of the funds we raise provide assistance to seriously ill children, students and charitable organizations. We have sent hundreds of kids to Ronald McDonald Camp at no cost to their families and awarded dozens of college scholarships.”