Buffalo Grove family bringing back 'Joey's Angels' charity golf outing

The “J ANGELS” vanity license plates on Larry Mix's SUV aren't new. They're just another reminder that the spirit of Joey Mix keeps on truckin'.

After Joey died as a result of leukemia at age 3½ in August 1996, his parents, Larry and Patty Mix of Buffalo Grove, founded the “Joey's Angels”chapter of the Leukemia Research Foundation. A year later they hosted their inaugural “Angels in the Fairway” golf outing.

Told they would be lucky if they got 50 people to participate that first year, the Mix family instead got more than 400.

Over the next 14 years, “Joey's Angels” helped raise more than $2 million to fight blood cancers.

The golf outing, which became a yearly nonstop endeavor for the Mixes to organize, grew every year, with 540 participants one year at the Grand Geneva in Wisconsin. Other sites for the outing included Midlane Country Club in Wadsworth, ThunderHawk Golf Club in Beach Park and Shepherd's Crook Golf Course in Zion.

Then Larry and Patty finally took a rest.

“We were tired,” Patty said, smiling.

“It was time for a break,” Larry agreed.

Now it's time to tee it up again and raise more money to fight leukemia and other blood cancers in Joey Mix's name. The 15th “Angels in the Fairway” golf outing takes place Friday, July 29, at Midlane Country Club and Glen Flora Country Club in Waukegan.

“We're back!” proclaims a brochure for the event.

For the last four years, “Joey's Angels” worked through the annual charity golf outing hosted by Bob Chinn's Crab House in Wheeling. Now, due to reasons that include a better economy and Larry Mix's employer, F.H. Paschen (a main sponsor), undergoing a rebranding, the Mixes decided it was time to bring back their event.

“The timing was right,” Larry said.

About 171,550 people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma in 2016. More than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with or are in remission from one of the three blood cancers.

Kevin Radelet, the Leukemia Research Foundation's executive director, says fundraising events such as “Angels in the Fairway” are contributing to saving lives.

The golf outing isn't the only way to help “Joe's Angels” in July. On July 9, Sideouts Bar and Eatery in Island Lake will host a Harley-Davidson raffle rally from 7-10 p.m., with all proceeds benefiting the charity. Raffle tickets are $20, with the grand prize being a Harley-Davidson Street Bob motorcycle. The drawing will be held at the “Angels in the Fairway” outing.

For more information on “Joey's Angels,” visit: www.joeysangels.com