ForeverDads hosts 10th annual golf outing
October 4, 2019
Late Friday morning, community members, business men and women and fathers gathered at Eaglesticks Golf Club to tee off for the 10th annual ForeverDads golf outing in support of fatherhood.
Thirty teams, totaling 120 golfers, took the the tees just after 12 p.m. Friday.
Before the golfers pulled their clubs out of their bags, ForeverDads Executive Director Burl Lemon took to the podium to thank all of the event’s sponsors, Eaglesticks, ForeverDads’ board members, as well as a few key individuals that have made the outing possible each year.
One person in particular that was honored for their efforts year after year was former ForeverDads board member Allen Bennett.
“He was a developer of this. He orchestrated it. He put parts and pieces together to make this happen,” Lemon said.
Bennett has been helping organize the event since it began 10 years ago. He said the first year he orchestrated the event, there were about 12 teams that participated and the event raised $3,000.
This year, with 30 teams participating, the fundraiser will raise about $15,000, Bennett said.
“It’s something that we hope to continue. The primary reason is it serves as a major funding for the organization which allows us to continue to educate, encourage and equip young men to grow to become better fathers, strengthen the community,” Jason Wilhelm, President for ForeverDads, said.
People were also able to honor their fathers, living or past, with a sign that was placed along the path between the 9th and 18th hole. About 82 signs lined the path between the two holes honoring fathers in the community.
The pathway, which was sponsored by ValueCare Ambulance Service, featured signs with a father’s name, as well as a photo of them.
ForeverDads is dedicated to equipping fathers with necessary skills to be active parents in their children’s lives.
“The real key to the cry of a child’s heart is bringing the father back into the picture,” Lemon said.
In addition to thanking those that made the event possible, a helicopter operated by Survival Flight dropped numbered golf balls onto a green for an event raffle.
To learn more about the opportunities and programs ForeverDads offers, visit the organization’s website here.
