Meet Sanford's child ambassador for annual golf tournament

Fourteen-year-old Emmett Zorr is tired.  

Within the past week, he’s been a charming, familiar face at the eighth annual Sanford International golf tournament, serving as the Children’s Hospital Ambassador.

He got new shoes, a new hat, three fresh golf outfits and an entire set of new clubs to hob nob with two-time U.S. Open champion Andy North, philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, Mayor Paul TenHaken, NFL Hall of Famers Cris Carter and Rondé Barber, Police Chief Jon Thum, Fire Rescue Chief Matt McAreavey and, right as the fatigue began to kick in, he got a fist bump and autograph from golf legend John Daly.

But Zorr also had homework to catch up on as an eighth grader at South Middle School in Harrisburg. He had 7:30 a.m. doctor appointments before helping to coach the Junior Club Clinic on Sept. 9. And next week, he heads to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnestoa, for an eight-hour nerve transfer surgery to help his smile, after doctors removed a tumor from his cheek when he was 5 years old.

But it’s just another one of many reconstructive surgeries for Zorr, said his mother Tina Woltman. And anyway, he was more focused on the highlight of his ambassador week: hitting the tournament’s ceremonial opening tee shot before Sept. 12’s first round of play.

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“I did it,” said Zorr, after successfully driving for 130-yards on the first hole at the Minnehaha Country Club in Sioux Falls.

A seemingly trite accomplishment, after having overcome cancer twice, enduring “at least” 11 surgeries with more to come and also being a kid who just wants to ride Grandpa Woltman’s side-by-side on the farm.

“Emmett has been challenged with a lot of things,” says Wendy Jensen, his child life specialist at the Sanford Children’s Hospital castle in Sioux Falls. “But he has done it all with such courage and a positive attitude.”

Already a golfer, Emmett rose to the occasion

Every year, the Sanford International golf tournament partners with the Sanford Health Foundation to choose what they refer to as their ambassador, a child patient who represents the Children’s Hospital throughout the weeklong tournament.

These kids get to shop at Scheel’s with golf pros and pick out toys to bring to fellow patients at the castle. They serve as standard bearers during a nine-hole exhibition scramble with NFL players. And Zorr got to design a pair of socks and a smock for caddies to wear throughout the tournament.

His 25-year-old brother, Ace Zorr, served as Emmett’s caddy when he beautifully teed off for opening ceremonies.

“Ace is Emmett’s life,” says Emmett’s dad, Chad Zorr. Ace played basketball for Harrisburg High School then went on to play for Dakota Wesleyan University. He lives in Sioux Falls today and is still Emmett’s No. 1 fan.

“The bond those two have through life, basketball, golf, it’s just amazing,” Chad says.

Emmett’s been playing since he was 4 years old. “It’s a coincidence” now being an ambassador for a golf tournament, Chad says, but it gave Emmett a nice boost heading into his big role.

“He’s a natural talent,” Chad says.

Just like his brother, Emmett has been taking lessons at First Tee for years, a nationwide youth development program that empowers kids through the game of golf.

Julie Jansa founded the Sioux Falls chapter in 2007, located at the Elmwood Golf Course and now one among 150 others nationwide that serve 41,000 kids a year. First Tee hosted a Junior Club Clinic for Sioux Falls elementary students during the tournament.

Emmett also participated in the Sanford Sports Academy’s golf program and before the International got to practice at Great Shots with golf specialist Jacob Otta.

“It’s been a joy to welcome Emmett to the Sanford International family,” said tournament director Davis Trosin. “His enthusiasm and energetic personality brighten every room he’s in.”

Castle staff ‘is family’

Emmett gets that a lot.

Jensen at the castle, who’s known Emmett since he was an infant and whom Woltman refers to as “family,” says everybody knows Emmett and looks forward to his hugs.

As a child life specialist, she and her colleague Nancy Kiesow say their “privilege” is to advocate for the child: Support their coping, “normalize” their environment, simplify medical jargon and just goof off with them in between pokes and treatments.

“Sometimes, it’s really hard,” Kiesow says.

She’s been an outpatient child life specialist for over 30 years and with Jensen helps to run Camp Bring It On at Joy Ranch, a weeklong summer camp for cancer patients ages 7 to 17.

“But it’s an honor to be able to help and empower kids like Emmett.”

Sanford Hospital security guard Cal Hilligas says Emmett’s like a friend to him.

“The patient experience starts at the desk,” Hilligas said. “You never show negativity, you listen when they want to talk and you look right into their eyes and into their heart. I just want to hug Emmett all the time.”

Roller coasters toward remission

Emmett, whose name means “strength,” Mom says, was first born prematurely on April 25, 2011. After three months in the NICU and over two years on oxygen, he then received his first cancer diagnosis at 3 years old, a rare form of sarcoma that arises in muscle tissue.

After a lot of “Mickey Mouse Club House” episodes during chemotherapy and radiation, Emmett was diagnosed again in 2016 – a week before he was supposed to be whisked off on his Make-A-Wish trip.

After a 14.5-hour surgery to remove the tumor, more treatment and more surgeries, he and his family finally reveled in a “perfect” trip to Disney World, Sea World and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida.

“He made me ride every single roller coaster,” Woltman said.

Emmett’s been in remission for eight years now, but “every bump, every bruise, every sore that doesn’t heal,” Woltman says, “you wonder if something is wrong.”

Mom is tired, too, she says. After his second diagnosis, she counted 103 appointments in one year. They had to be in Chicago for three weeks when he had his tumor removed and have spent much time traveling to and from Mayo.

“But Sanford is our home,” Woltman says. “This is our family here.”

On the morning of Sept. 12, half a dozen staff from the Sanford Children’s Hospital came to support Emmett as he shimmied up to the first, monumental swing.

Emmett was “getting tired of the pictures,” he said, but hugged every nurse, child life specialist, security bud Cal, his grandparents Glen and Bev Woltman, Uncle Tyler and gave a thumbs up in photos with every big wig in town.

Emmett himself signed a few autographs.

“We are where we are supposed to be,” Woltman says. This, too, shall pass, she told the audience while speaking Sept. 10 at the Sanford International Women’s Day Luncheon.

She received a standing ovation.

“Emmett is my whole world,” she said. “This is his time to shine,” she said.