The 4th Annual Be.StacieStrong Golf Tournament and 19th Hole Afterparty is returning this June to support Atascadero native Stacie Athlon’s courageous battle against stage 4 triple-negative breast cancer. On Sunday, June 8, at Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles it is going to be an amazing day of golf, laughter, community, and hope — all to support Stacie and others fighting cancer.
This year, a portion of the proceeds will also go to Sabeswings — Be.StacieStrong’s parent nonprofit — in an effort to help other cancer patients in need. The 19th Hole Afterparty, open to the public, starts at 1:30 p.m. and promises a day of fun for everyone. Enjoy delicious food, local beer, wine, and spirits, an ice cream truck, a silent auction, raffle prizes, and a bounce house for kids.
Stacie’s story is one of strength, love, and never giving up. In September 2020, just 10 days after marrying the love of her life, Cody, Stacie was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer — a rare and aggressive form of the disease. She was only 34, in great health, and completely blindsided.
But Stacie didn’t back down. She threw everything she had at this fight — chemotherapy, a double mastectomy, radiation, and more. In March 2022, she got the amazing news she was cancer-free, and she and Cody started dreaming about the future again. However, a few months later, Stacie was re-diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, this time in her lungs. Standard care gave her no options and an estimated six months left to live.
“That was devastating and unmatched situation,” Stacie said. “It’s hard to even put it into words when someone gives you a death sentence.”
But Stacie and Cody refused to give up. They found hope with Dr. Virginia Von Schaefer in Southern California. Dr. V, as she is known, offered alternative treatments that were both promising — and incredibly expensive.
“It [the cancer] did move around my body. We never gave up, but it was a little scary. It went from my breasts to my lungs,” Stacie explained. “It traveled to my liver, it went into my spine and then ultimately ended up in my brain. And one of the things about when it travels to your brain, people pretty much think it’s done … I was down there for 19 months, five days a week, unwilling to give up, unwilling to throw in the towel.”
As of March 2025, Stacie recently completed three rounds of dendritic cellular vaccine treatment between October and December 2024 under the care of Dr. V, experiencing minimal side effects and feeling strong throughout. Since then, she’s taken a much-needed break from in-clinic therapies to focus on healing at home — committing to a consistent routine of clean nutrition, daily movement, red light therapy, supplements, and faith-based wellness.
Today, Stacie is considered to have no evidence of disease — a huge feat for triple-negative breast cancer.
However, the cost of alternative medicine is very costly, and with insurance companies unwilling to help pay to save Stacie’s life, her family and friends put together the Be.StacieStrong initiative, raising funds to help pay for her medical expenses. As of this year, they are now partnered with Sabeswings, another local nonprofit working to fight against medical financial toxicity, with a focus on residents of San Luis Obispo County and neighboring areas. A portion of the proceeds from the Be.StacieStrong Golf Tournament will be donated to help other local families in their fight against cancer.
Stacie, who has been living in Oregon with her husband due to a job relocation, feels incredibly grateful to the community for their support in her cancer journey.
“Our community has continued to surround Cody and I, and though we’re not local there right now, we have a lot of beautiful friends and family that are still there. I wouldn’t have been able to finish treatment without these events,” Stacie said. “The support and love of the Central Coast and everyone rallying is what got us here. And I’m so passionate about trying to eventually give back and give back within our community because of everything they did for us.”
The 4th Annual Be.StacieStrong Golf Tournament and 19th Hole Afterparty will take place on Sunday, June 8, at Hunter Ranch in Paso Robles. The Afterparty, open to the public at 1:30 p.m., features local food and drinks, an ice cream truck, silent auction, raffle prizes, and a bounce house for kids.
For more information on the event and Stacie’s story, visit staciestrong.org
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