This article brought John to tears.  It has been an emotion filled day.  He has been sneezing and sneezing.  Once again john is overcome by the graciousness of the community.  Kingman is such a great community and the spirit with which you have rallied behind our family
is  amazing.  Thank you Thank you!!!!!!

Golf tourney's success is like a scene from a movie

JC AMBERLYN/Miner John and Anne Bathauer smile during the John Bathauer charity golf classic Saturday at Cerbat Cliffs Golf Course. The event raised $35,000 for the Bathauer family as John is battling an aggressive form of melanoma cancer. Rodney Haas Miner Sports Reporter KINGMAN - Forgive John Bathauer if he feels a bit like George Bailey from the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." And forgive him if Kingman feels like Bedford Falls to him after the success of the John Bathauer charity golf tournament, put on by the Kingman Firefighters Association Saturday at Cerbat Cliffs Golf Course. With 42 teams and 168 players playing, the firefighters association had hoped to raise $15,000 for the Bathauer family as John is currently battling an aggressive form of melanoma skin cancer. But as the tournament continued and the money was being counted from donations from local businesses, a raffle and the tournament itself, the amount started to climb, reaching $20,000 while the tournament was still being played and peaking at just over $35,000. But what happened after the tournament concluded was a scene straight out of "It's a Wonderful Life." Players donated their prize money back to the Bathauer family, just as the people of Bedford Falls gave what money they had to help Bailey when they found out that George was in trouble. "For me, it did bring those thoughts," said Kingman High Athletic Director Tim Casson, who played in the tournament. "Standing out there when they were doing the prizes and awards, and the tournament winners were saying, 'Here take our tournament winnings and donate that too.' It did bring that to mind." The tournament was just one of many fundraisers that have been put on to help John and his family with the various expenses that have come up since John was first diagnosed back in January and will continue to come up as he moves forward with his treatment. "What happened on Saturday was amazing," John's wife Anne said. "How did this small community raise $35,000 for a family? John says, 'Anyone who bags on Kingman, I-40 is right there and you can get on it.' Because what the community has done this weekend and what they have done is just amazing." The success of the tournament has also sparked conversations about turning the John Bathauer Classic into an annual event to help raise money for a family or families in Kingman battling cancer. And as for John, he has a goal of playing an even bigger part in the tournament next year. "I was told that John's plans are to do this next year and he wants to play in it," said Tom Flanagan of the Kingman Firefighters Association. "If that's his plans then I will put together the best tournament possible." While next year is a long ways away, the focus on Saturday was John and his family as par scores took a back seat to the money being raised. And as Bailey discovered his true worth to Bedford Falls, so has John and Anne to Kingman through their 20 plus years of service with John's dedication to youth sports and Anne's coaching. On Saturday, the community had an opportunity to show how thankful it is. "That's what John said. If you get involved with the community, the community will pay you back," Anne said. "If something happens, the community will pay you back. So get involved with your community." Want to help? The family has set up an account for John Bathauer at National Bank of Arizona, 3825 Stockton Hill Road, 2605 E. Andy Devine Ave., and at 4263 Highway 68, Suite A in Golden Valley. Folks who want to set up a fundraiser can contact the Bathauer family at abathauer1@gmail.com