FRANCES WINS SECOND PLACE AND MEETS THE GOLDEN BEAR

Chapter participant Frances Melendez recently played in the Student Athlete Community Service Network All America Golf Championship.   The mission of the SACSN is to provide a platform for student athletes to “stand out” and “give back” through sports and community service. The Championship is a one day charity tournament to support the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. Invitees are nominated by high school coaches from across the country.​ ​Leadership and community service are at the forefront of the Charity Invitational Series. Participants are asked to collect and donate pre-paid gas cards. The cards are donated to the Nicklaus Foundation to help families with financial constraints get their children needing medical treatment back and forth to treatment appointments. Participants are awarded volunteer hours for their efforts which can be used toward school requirements, National Honor Society, and merit scholarship applications. Frances shot a 78 to place 2nd overall.  Way to go Frances, we are very proud of you. Great score, leadership and community service- in other words: The First Tee!

PBAU STUDENT MAKES HOLE-IN-ONE

The Alumni Association of Palm Beach Atlantic University hosted its 30th Annual Golf Tournament and auction Saturday, October 7, 2017 at the PGA National Resort & Spa. Arrigo Dodge sponsored the hole-in-one car on hole #17 on the Champion Course.  PBAU golf team students hit tee shots with each group in the tournament.  The hole played 187 yards, but more like 200 yards in to the wind. On her first shot of the day with no warm-up, PBAU golf team member, Alexandra Dowd, hit a 3-wood, but because of the rising sun, no one saw the shot.  The remainder of the group teed off and then approached the green. The volunteer monitoring the hole-one-contest stated nonchalantly, “There are a few balls on the green and one went in.”  Of course, the group went crazy! Due to NCAA rules, Alexandra could not accept the Dodge Challenger, but the Arrigo family made a generous donation to the PBAU scholarship fund in her name.

OUR CHAPTER SUPPORTS NEW WEST VIRGINIA GOLF TEAM

Recently a former Board Member and long-term supporter of our Chapter, Mitch Stump, CPA asked if we could assist a new high school golf team from his home town of Stumptown, WV. The Calhoun County High School Golf team began with the hires of Coach Matt Walker and Coach Mike Stump. The team started with zero dollars, zero supplies, and zero players. After tremendous efforts in fund raising and generous donations from area businesses, the golf team bank account finally had a balance and some supplies in the closet.  After some recruiting of students within the school, the team secured five players to try something new and participate on the first golf team at Calhoun County High School since the late 1970s. Pictured above the team of Drue Goad, Jaden Swearingen, Bryson Montgomery, Cole Rogers, Mason Bennett and Reagan Lynch. Upon Mitch’s request, our chapter provided golf bags, clubs and training aids for their first-year team.  Another supporter of our Chapter, Richard Ekey, heard about the new team and donated a golf bag full of 12 dozen Pro V-1’s! The boys were very excited to be with Stump the morning they received their new team gifts.  Only one of the five students on the golf team had ever been on a golf course before up until this season.  The expectations for the season were not very high and included establishing a tournament schedule and teach the students the basics of golf.  The team scheduled a whopping 18 matches and won 10 of them! Team members even recorded a few birdies this season. During the last two matches of the season all five players shot in the 50s for their nine-hole match. Calhoun finished 10th out of 12 teams in the Little Kanawha Conference and finished 7th out of 9 teams in the Reginal Tournament exceeding all goals the team set at the beginning of the year. The team looks to build on the strides made during the 2017 season and will work hard to continue to improve in 2018.