Highland Lakes Christmas benefit golf tournament still seeking duffers
DANIEL CLIFTON • PICAYUNE EDITOR
MEADOWLAKES — While the hole sponsorships for the 2013 Highland Lakes Christmas Caddy Golf Tournament are sold out, organizers of the tournament, which benefits local families facing a bleak Christmas, are still looking for golfers.
“We’re about halfway full as far as teams and golfers go,” said Jeff Wilson, an event organizer and the general manager of Hidden Falls Golf Club. “We have enough room for 30 teams, and we’re right at 15 teams right now. But that’s typical of tournaments like this one. People usually wait until the last week to register.”
The tournament, scheduled for Dec. 7 at Hidden Falls Golf Club, 220 Meadowlakes Drive, raises money to purchase clothes, food and other items for area families who are struggling financially. Some of the funds will go toward buying Christmas gifts for children, but that’s only part of the overall scope.[box]IF YOU PLAY
WHAT: Highland Lakes Christmas Caddy Golf Tournament
WHEN: Tees off noon Dec. 7
WHERE: Hidden Falls Golf Club, 220 Meadowlakes Drive in Meadowlakes
COST: $50 per golfer
FOR MORE: Contact Jeff Wilson at jwilson@hiddenfallsgolfclub.com or (830) 693-3300.[/box]
“We wanted to do something that would make a difference in these families’ Christmas,” said Stephen Galan, an event organizer and a worship leader at Lake Shores Church in Marble Falls. While he’s associated with Lake Shores, Galan said this is not a Lake Shores event but enlists the support and involvement of nine area churches.
Galan and Wilson envision the project becoming a community-wide effort.
“Stephen and I came up with this about a year ago,” Wilson said. “I remember walking out of the initial meeting, which was about an hour and a half, thinking, ‘Wow,’ because all these ideas and things just came pouring out. And it just came together.”
As the general manager of Hidden Falls Golf Club, Wilson could work things in such a way that kept overhead to a minimum, which meant a higher percentage of the proceeds going to the families.
Last year — the tournament’s first — the event raised $10,230 after expenses.
“For a first-year tournament, that’s amazing,” Wilson said.
Those funds allowed 61 area children and their families to enjoy a better Christmas than they otherwise might have.
Already this year, the event is on target to surpass that number, significantly.
“Right now, just on hole sponsorships alone, we’ve raised $9,900,” Wilson said. “We have a chance to bring in between $14,000 and $15,000 that can help out so many families.”
The key is filling the remaining golf team spots. And if people don’t have a foursome, they can give Wilson a call, and he’ll try to put them on a team.
The cost to play in the tournament is $50, which includes green fees, cart rental, range balls and a dinner. It tees off at noon with prizes going to the top eight teams.
People interested in registering may contact Wilson at jwilson@hiddenfallsgolfclub.com or (830) 693-3300. Individuals, businesses and organizations still can get involved as well.
daniel@thepicayune.com