Thank you for support and for participating over the years in The Janssen Memorial Golf Event. Voted the best golf outing at Tiburon Golf Club year in and year out. This outing is an annual event with the purpose of both remembering the great times we all had with Colin and Monte Janssen while also raising funds for the Colin Janssen Memorial Scholarship. This will be the 9th Annual Janssen Memorial Golf Event and it is always full of great times with great people. This scholarship is awarded to graduating high school seniors who have overcome obstacles in their life. It is with your help and continued support of this annual golf event that we have been able to award thousands of dollars to many graduating Gretna High School seniors over the last few years.
Colin and Monte Janssen left an amazing mark on this world. Both of these men, father and son, our dad/husband and youngest brother/son, lost their lives to different rare forms of cancer and were taken away from us way too young. Their fierce battles against cancer were intertwined. Colin’s tragic journey began after having his first tumor removed from his brain during his sophomore year at Gretna High School. He overcame much more than a typical high school student and excelled at both basketball and baseball during his last 2 high school years. Monte retired early from his lifelong career of education where he inspired many kids to do many things. Monte’s early retirement was not full of the traditional joys of retirement. Meanwhile, Colin had earned himself a baseball scholarship and attended Midland University where his life’s journey took another turn. During his first college baseball season, the all too familiar symptoms returned and a new brain tumor was found. This time, there was more than one. Monte’s early retirement consisted of only one thing; fighting for his son’s life. They traveled the country together to the best cancer centers searching for answers to an unsolvable problem. Only 12 cases of hemangiomablastomatosis had ever been documented. Numerous surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation became common place over the next 4 years for Colin. Colin showed amazing courage, strength, and dedication. As his physical abilities diminished he continued to forge ahead on his quest to earn his teaching degree. After he lost his ability to drive, Monte would drop him off every day at class. Barely able to walk, he would trek across the campus at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to attend one of his many classes. Colin passed away before he was able to attain his final goal, but his legacy lives on in many ways, none more important than his Memorial Scholarship given to those who will see his final goal through.
Monte put all of his needs aside as he devoted all of his efforts and attention to the needs of his son, Colin, and his battle during those first few years of retirement. The unconditional love and unselfishness Monte exhibited during these times, allowed cancer to unknowingly quickly cripple him. Monte had known something was wrong, but his health was of no importance as his son was his priority. Less than a month after Colin passed away, Monte was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. The cancer had already done its damage before it was found. Monte had just finished losing a fight no one would ever want to fight and now he had his own battle. Doctor’s visits, chemotherapy, transplants, and radiation were all too normal again, all too soon. Monte’s battle lasted 3 and ½ years before his body could not take any more. The mark he left on this world was apparent by the throngs of people who attended his services. Person after person came up to our family to tell us what a positive influence our dad had on them. From his friends and peers, to the countless number of former students, they told stories reminiscing what a positive effect he had on their lives. It is all too common for his former students to call him the greatest teacher they ever had. Monte left an amazing mark on many students and the Colin Janssen Memorial Scholarship will help another graduating high school senior follow in his footsteps and become somebody else’s favorite teacher they ever had.
The 9th Annual Janssen Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on August 24th at Tiburon Golf Club with a shotgun start at 1pm. We will again be taking over the entire golf course, all 27 holes, for this awesome event. We invite you to join us for a day full of golf, fun, great people, and a great cause. Lunch, dinner, pin prizes, raffle prizes, and much more will all be included with this awesome event. Sign up soon, as this annual event fills up very quickly. Sponsors and donations are also accepted for this amazing event.
If you have any other questions, please send an email to janssenmemorial@gmail.com.
Thanks again for all of your support.
The Janssen Family