NEWTON – The Newton Memorial Hospital Foundation received a welcomed surprise as Kenneth Kievit, winner of the 2009 50/50 Ball Drop, announced his plan to donate his prize of $15,000 back to the Foundation.

The fundraiser attendees waited anxiously as thousands of numbered golf balls were released from a hot air balloon high above the ninth fairway all vying for the first spot in the hole. This year, $30,000 was raised from the 50/50 Ball Drop and half the proceeds were to be awarded to the individual whose ticket corresponded to the number of the winning golf ball.

Kievit, a friend and supporter of the NMH Foundation since 2003, purchased the winning raffle ticket at the 37th Annual Frank Redfern Golf Outing held at the Lake Mohawk Golf Club on Monday, July 13. As the mayor of Stockholm and business owner of Athenia Mason Supply in Clifton, Kievit proved to be a very humble man. While he said it was a “total shock and total surprise” to win, he did not hesitate to make the generous donation to the patients at Newton Memorial.

“As shocked as Ken was, we were equally surprised that he elected to return these funds to the Foundation,” Newton Memorial Vice President of Development Megan Sandow said. “We try to add new components to each of our events to keep our guests excited and the feeling of winning is an important part of that. By no means do we expect this, but we really wanted to recognize Ken. It’s a generous donation and it’s going to a very good cause, to improve the birthing experience for so many expectant mothers in our community.”

The fundraiser is held every year in memory of the late Frank Redfern, a once avid supporter of Newton Memorial and one of the original founders of the Barn Hill Care Center, which continues to support the event each year.

The total proceeds will go towards funding the Maternity Revitalization Project. To learn more about the NMH Maternal and Newborn Services, please visit www.alllifelong.org.