Westminster High School Golfer Making 'Birdies for Babies'

Jordan McElvin, a 14-year-old freshman at Westminster High School, has figured out a way to combine her love of golf and her wish to help others, especially kids.

This year she has decided to leverage her success on the golf course to support sick children at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

Jordan started playing golf at age 6, competed in tournaments at 9 and, today, at 14, is ranked nationally. In her first year on the Westminster High School golf team, Jordan placed third in the state tournament.

Both Jordan and her mom said that the most challenging part of golfing (and parenting a golfer), isn't necessarily on the course.

"The mental game is the hardest part of being a competitive golfer," Jordan said. "I have to be able to move on after a bad hole."

Last year, Jordan decided she wanted to capitalize on the attention she was getting for her golf talent and turn that into money and awareness for charity.

“Golf has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” Jordan said.  “But it wasn’t until last year when I realized that I could do things with golf that are well beyond the game.

"When I started seeing my name in the paper I thought, ‘Wow this is really cool.’  I became known as ‘that golf girl.’  My family and I thought this was the perfect time to change that to that’s the girl who raises money for charity through golf," Jordan said.

Sandy said that because Jordan has always loved children the Johns Hopkins Children's Center seemed like a perfect charity to support.

"When I have fun doing something, I want to be able to spread that enjoyment to kids who don't have what I have or can't do what I can," Jordan said.

Jordan's family and Johns Hopkins came up with fundraising theme, "Jordan McElvin's Birdies for Babies." Donors can support Jordan either by making a straight donation, or by choosing to pledge a certain amount per birdie that Jordan makes when competing. In golf, a birdie means scoring one under par on any given hole.

Jordan's goal for this year is $7,500. So far she has raised $950.

Jordan's official kickoff, scheduled Tuesday with a tour of the new Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children's Center at Hopkins, has been postponed.

Associate Director of Development at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Denise Goode, said she is excited to work with Jordan.

”Our kids depend on individuals, like Jordan, willing to use their passion to help fund our needs. We are thrilled to benefit from the Birdies for Babies campaign,“ Goode said in a news release.

You can see the progress of Jordan's efforts to raise money and awareness for Johns Hopkins Children’s Center online by visiting http://www.helpmakemiracles.org/event/BirdiesforBabies/.