Kiawah Island Club’s fourth annual HEARTest Yard Celebrity Classic returns June 8-9

Greg Olsen’s charity nears $1 million raised for MUSC pediatric heart families in Charleston

KIAWAH ISLAND, S.C., (June 5, 2025) – The Medical University of South Carolina and South Street Partners, owners of Kiawah Island Club, will once again partner with former Carolina Panther Greg Olsen to host the fourth annual HEARTest Yard Celebrity Classic at Kiawah Island Club, presented by Lexus, on June 8 and 9. The annual fundraiser will return to the club’s award-winning Cassique golf course, with the welcome party hosted the evening before at River Course.

Since its inception in 2022, the event has raised $900,000 to benefit The HEARTest Yard, the pediatric cardiovascular foundation founded by Greg and Kara Olsen. This year, the event is expected to surpass the $1 million milestone, supporting families of children with congenital heart disease receiving care at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.

The two-day event begins on Sunday with a welcome reception and auction at River Course, featuring moving stories from local heart families, celebrity guests and an intimate concert with live performances by Thomas McClary (The Commodores), Ryan Cabrera, Hannah Ellis, Nick Wayne, among others. On Monday, celebrities and supporters will tee off at Cassique alongside NFL broadcaster Joe Buck, Bravo’s “Southern Charm” stars Austen Kroll and Shep Rose and Olsen’s former Carolina Panthers teammates Luke Kuechly and Jonathan Stewart. Olsen will be available for media interviews at the Cassique clubhouse, 9:00 a.m., on Monday, June 9. 

"We are honored to be hosting The HEARTest Yard Celebrity Classic for the fourth year in a row at Kiawah Island Club. Giving back to the community is a vital part of our mission, and it is very exciting that these events have raised almost $1 million to fund pediatric cardiovascular services for patients and families throughout the Carolinas,” said Chris Randolph, managing partner, South Street Partners. "We are so proud to be part of Greg and Kara’s remarkable foundation and grateful to the generosity of all who have and continue to support its lifesaving work."

Founded in 2012 after their son, T.J., was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the Olsens’ HEARTest Yard program has provided no-cost, in-home nursing; physical and speech therapy; and transition support to families of children with congenital heart disease. 

Last year, the Olsens announced the next step in the foundation’s growth: the future HEARTest Yard Family Wellness and Resource Center at the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. This center will provide comprehensive mental and emotional health resources for the entire family, patients, caregivers, siblings and beyond. The HEARTest Yard has committed $300,000 annually over five years to launch and support this transformational effort.

“The HEARTest Yard Family Wellness and Resource Center’s impact on South Carolina families will be immeasurable,”said Mark Scheurer, M.D., MUSC chief of Children’s and Women’s Services. “Caring for a heart baby at home can be overwhelming. This center will help caregivers to feel more confident and supported.”

With The HEARTest Yard’s support, MUSC continues to deliver world-class care to South Carolina’s youngest cardiac patients and their families.

MUSC and South Street Partners have a longstanding collaboration focused on improving health care access across the region. Most recently, Kiawah Partners, owned by South Street Partners, donated a 3-acre parcel valued at $6 million for the future MUSC Health Kiawah Partners Pavilion. The 12,056-square-foot facility, expected to open in late 2025, will provide 24/7 emergency and specialty care to the Sea Islands, including trauma rooms, imaging, lab services, and a helipad for critical transport. 

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About the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital

The MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (SJCH) consists of 250 beds and opened in February 2020 as a replacement facility for the MUSC Children’s Hospital, built in the late 1980s and formerly located on Ashley Avenue. More than 200 care team members, MUSC leaders, administrators and family and patient representatives were instrumental in the concept, design and building of this facility. By providing the most advanced pediatric care possible in more than 27 specialty areas, in person or through a robust telehealth network, SJCH includes a Level 1 trauma center and Emergency Department, the state’s only pediatric burn center and solid-organ and bone marrow transplant programs, the state’s largest Level 4 neonatal intensive care unit, an advanced maternal fetal medicine center and a top-2 ranked U.S. News & World Report children’s cardiology & heart surgery program, which functions through a nationally unique statewide collaboration of pediatric heart surgeons and cardiologists.

About The HEARTest Yard

For families of babies born with congenital heart disease, there's help – and hope – through The HEARTest Yard program. Established by former Carolina Panthers tight end Greg Olsen and his wife, Kara, after their son was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, The HEARTest Yard provides healthcare support and services to ease the transition from the hospital to home.

The HEARTest Yard program offers a range of services, including in-home private nursing care, physical therapy, and speech therapy at no charge to families. The program aims to help prevent a child's complications from congenital heart disease and improve their long-term health. The HEARTest Yard 

About South Street Partners 

South Street Partners, one of the largest owners and operators of private residential club and resort communities in the United States–including Kiawah Island, Palmetto Bluff, The Cliffs, Barnsley Resort, The Beckwith–Crested Butte, The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, Naples Grande, PGA National Resort and Residences at Salamander–is a private equity real estate investment and development firm headquartered in Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC. Founded in 2009, South Street, on behalf of SSP GP Fund I, their institutional joint venture partners and co-investment vehicles, has deployed over $1 billion of equity across resort, residential and commercial properties and has over $2 billion of assets under management. South Street acts as a principal investment platform as well as an operating partner and co-investor for institutional partners interested in special situations, opportunistic and value-add real estate investments in the Southeast and Sunbelt regions as well as other select continental US and international markets. SouthStreetPartners.com

 On-Site Monday Instructions:

Mention The HEARTest Yard at the Kiawah Island gate. Follow signs to Cassique Golf Course

 Social Media Handles:

MUSC Children’s Health, For all social channels: @musckids

Kiawah Island Club, Facebook, Instagram: @KiawahIslandLiving

The HEARTest Yard, Instagram: @the_heartest_yard

The Greg Olsen Foundation, Facebook: @Receptions for Research

Greg Olsen, Instagram and X: @gregolsen88