YMCA golf tourney raises $13K in 2nd year

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This September marked the Olympic Peninsula YMCA’s second year of hosting the “Fore the Kids” golf tournament at the Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course in Sequim, and it raised an estimated $13,000 from the event.

Erin Hawkins, marking and communications coordinator for the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, explained the Y hopes to continue this golf tourney as an annual event, especially since it has become one of the Y’s major fundraising events for the year.

All proceeds go to the Olympic Peninsula YMCA’s member support fund, which provides financial aid to individuals, families, teens or other youth who cannot afford to pay for a YMCA membership, or to attend a YMCA program at YMCAs in Port Townsend, Sequim or Port Angeles.

Among the examples Hawkins cited were summer camps for age groups ranging from 4-12, youth overnight camps, family camps, the “After the Bell” program, swimming lessons, lifeguard certification classes, the Seventh Grade Initiative of free YMCA memberships for seventh-graders, and fitness programs such as “Fit 5.”

“Our focus is on strengthening our community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility,” said Hawkins.

Besides the Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course, Hawkins extended the Y’s thanks to other sponsors including the 7 Cedars Casino and Green Crow timber company.

“The tournament wouldn’t have been a success without them, as they also were our major sponsors last year,” Hawkins said.

This year’s tourney drew 17 teams, which Hawkins estimated included about 70 players total. With last year’s tourney drawing 20 teams and about 80 players in all, Hawkins considered this year’s event “pretty close” to the numbers from last year.

“We hope to gain more players each year, as this event continues to grow into a well-known golf tournament on the Olympic Peninsula,” Hawkins said. “Our goal is 100 players each year, and we hope to grow to that number, or more, in the next few years.”

The four-man scramble-style tourney covers 18 holes, with several holes this year including activities such as a fitness challenge, which required players to either pay to move onto the next hole, or else perform an athletic activity with YMCA volunteers, such as jumping jacks, planks or dancing.

“The Y makes it fun, while also raising money to give back to the community,” Hawkins said. “Price Ford also donated a golf ball cannon that shoots golf balls out of a cannon across the hole, which was a lot of fun for players this year, and something we didn’t have last year.”

This year’s tournament winners were Chad Wagner, Grice Fuji, Todd Negus and Gary Tesla, although the second place included some players whom Hawkins identified as being from Port Townsend, including John Palm, Terry Khile, and Chad and Cameron Stroyan.

“On the day of the golf tournament, the sun came out for most of the day, which was a nice surprise,” Hawkins said. “Last year, it poured for most of the tourney, so the sun this year made for a great day. The golf ball cannon was also a big hit with the players, since almost every team chose to shoot the cannon, and at the end, when the winners of the tournament were announced, the winning team donated their purse of $400 to the YMCA.”

DISCO BAY WOMEN

And in other golfing news, on Sept. 26, the Discovery Bay Women’s Golf Club “lucked out and played on a dry and somewhat sunny day,” according to club spokeswoman Dee Sweeney.

The game for the day was low net from the silver tees, and the winners were Sheila Kilmer and Wanda Synnestvedt, who tied with a net score of 68.