Woods' caddie raises funds for sick children

updated 12:01 p.m. ET Oct. 7, 2008

AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Tiger Woods' New Zealand-born caddie has made the most of his employer's injury-enforced absence from golf to raise 1 million New Zealand dollars (US$620,000) for child cancer sufferers.

Caddie Steve Williams presented the money to Auckland's Starship Hospital on Tuesday to help fund the construction of a new cancer ward.

Williams promised to raise NZ$1 million for the hospital a year ago after visiting child cancer patients.

"Obviously we didn't want to see Tiger out. But it helped us in a sense because we've really got into it in the last three months and it's been really successful," he said of his fundraising efforts.

The Steve Williams Foundation is a registered charity in New Zealand which undertakes various fundraising activities. One of his main sources of income is auctioning Tiger Woods memorabilia. Williams also works as a guest speaker and organizes charity golf tournaments.

"It was a lot of hard work, but when you have a target in mind and know what benefits it will have, it's very enjoyable," he said

The Starship Hospital treats about 70 percent of New Zealand children with cancer.

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