Arnold Palmer's Legacy

Arnold Palmer died yesterday.  His pictures covered most of the front page, and  most of the sports page of today's paper.  He was an icon in Central Florida.  Not only was he a living golf legend but he made Bay Hill Club and Lodge a legendary place.

But that's not the main reason we love him here.  The Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and the Winner Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies have been - and will be - key in the lives of millions of families.  This is some legacy.

Dave and I have talked about how it would be such a burden, at our age, to win the lottery because we'd have to work so hard to give the money away properly.  (However there is no chance of that happening since we've never played the lottery.)  But we have worked at leaving our own legacies.  My goal is to leave this planet a better place because I was in it.

Winnie Palmer Hospital for
Women and Babies

Not many celebrities use their fame and money the way Mr. Palmer did.  Our exceptional sports columnist, Mike Bianchi, said this:

We had two of the greatest golfers of all time - Arnie and Tiger Wood - who lived in our community.  Arnie left a legacy of hospitals and golf tournaments; Tiger left an unhappy Perkins waitress.  

Goodby Mr. Palmer. We will never forget you.



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