Mike Carver was born with a left club foot and three fingers on his left hand while part of his right arm and right
leg had to be amputated as an infant. But that hasn’t stopped the 51-year-old engineer technician from Greenwood, Miss., from enjoying life — or playing golf . Despite the multiple handicaps, Carver tees off any chance he can get, whether it’s weekdays after work or all day on the weekends. ”I’ve been golfing for 30 years, it’s my passion,” Carver said. My parents taught me early on never to use my limitations as an excuse to not get ahead in life or do what I love to do. So I haven’t.” Carver was one of 110 participants at the fourth annual Celebrity Amputee Golf Classic April 24 at Crandon Park Golf Club in Key Biscayne. The charity event, previously held in Orlando, raised about $100,000, pairing amputee golfers with celebrities and other able-bodied golfers for 18 holes. Proceeds from the event benefited two organizations: Shake-A-Leg Miami in Coconut Grove, which offers educational and recreational programs for children with disabilities and the Carma Foundation, which helps poor women and children in Haiti.
The primary beneficiary is Shake-A-Leg, which has developed a vocational program for returning veterans with post-traumatic stress disorders and brain injuries.