26th Annual Bad Pants Open Golf Tournament Raises Over $400,000 for Texas Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

HOUSTON (NOV. 18, 2024) – The Texas Children’s 26th annual Bad Pants Open presented by Baker Hughes was held at Champions Golf Club on Nov. 11, 2024 and featured 280 of Houston’s worst-dressed golfers hitting the links to raise funds for the Texas Children’s Newborn Center. The proceeds from this year will fund a peer-to-peer support service provided by Hand to Hold, an organization that provides personalized support before, during and after an admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). 

“We extend our greatest thanks to our generous donors, golfers and sponsors who participated in this beloved tradition in the name of helping Houston’s tiniest patients,” said Dr. Kristina M. Reber, Chief of Neonatology at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Each year, we look forward to this colorful event that provides support and encouragement to our NICU patient families during what can be a stressful and overwhelming time.” 

Caring for more than 1,800 premature and critically ill newborns annually, Texas Children’s is one of the largest NICUs in the nation. As one of only two Level IV NICUs in the Greater Houston area and beyond, Texas Children’s offers the highest level of neonatal intensive care available, providing world-class expertise, experience and cutting-edge technology to treat complex conditions affecting newborns. Ranked #3 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, the Texas Children’s neonatology department provides comprehensive neonatal care to the most complex cases in the world. 

The tournament, which brought in $410,000 this year, has raised over $7 million during the last two and a half decades to aid patients and their families. The money has allowed the hospital to assist with parking fees as well as provide food and personal essentials to families of NICU patients, in addition to helping support other social work programs since the tournament’s inception in 1998.

The 2024 tournament highlighted the story of the Walters family, whose journey at Texas Children’s Newborn Center began when the surrogate carrying their son, William, began experiencing complications 20 weeks into her pregnancy. Dr. Daniel Penny, Executive Co-Director of Texas Children’s Heart Center, was the first of many Texas Children’s experts who became guiding lights for the Walters, offering reassurance and emotional support throughout the family’s journey. Dr. Penny gathered a team of world-renowned specialists to prepare for William’s birth and the care he would need, including a life-saving catheterization procedure immediately after birth.  

“We watched the extraordinary NICU team work tirelessly to keep our baby alive,” said Genny Walters, William’s mother. “They fought for him like he was their own. There is not a chance our precious son would be alive and thriving without the incredible and heroic care we received at Texas Children’s.” 

About Texas Children’s

Texas Children’s, a nonprofit health care organization, is committed to creating a healthier future for children and women throughout the global community by leading in patient care, education and research. Consistently ranked as the best children’s hospital in Texas and among the top in the nation, Texas Children’s has garnered widespread recognition for its expertise and breakthroughs in pediatric and women’s health. The system includes the Texas Children’s Duncan NRI; the Feigin Tower for pediatric research; Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women, a comprehensive obstetrics/gynecology facility focusing on high-risk births; Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus, a community hospital in suburban West Houston; Texas Children’s Hospital The Woodlands, the first hospital devoted to children’s care for communities north of Houston and Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin, the new state-of-the-art facility providing world-class pediatric and maternal care to Austin families. The organization also created Texas Children’s Health Plan, the nation’s first HMO focused on children; Texas Children’s Pediatrics, the largest pediatric primary care network in the country; Texas Children’s Urgent Care clinics that specialize in after-hours care tailored specifically for children; and a global health program that is channeling care to children and women all over the world. Texas Children’s Hospital is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine. For more information, visit www.texaschildrens.org.