Care-A-Van party, golf tournament get early start
JENNIFER FIERRO • PICAYUNE STAFF
BURNET — The Emory Bellard-Spike Dykes Kids Care-A-Van Tailgate Party and Golf Tournament might have moved to June 20-21 from early August, but it hasn’t changed its purpose.
In 10 years, the event has raised $1.8 million, said Becky Fox, director of Development at Seton Highland Lakes Hospital. The Care-A-Van serves about 2,000 uninsured children.
“That’s really what this is all about,” she said. “This is why coach Bellard and coach Dykes did this. They really saw what was happening. They saw the work being done. We knew we had to do it.”
The reason for the date change came down to one reason, she said.
“The last couple of years, we’ve had golfers ask if we would move it because of the heat,” she said. “I think it’ll benefit us.”
Also different at this year’s event is there is no table-decorating competition, Fox said. The decision was made based on feedback.
“If we hear a lot of feedback that it was missed, we’ll bring it back,” she said.
Still, other parts of the event are unchanged.
There will be live and silent auctions at the tailgate party and ice cream after each round. Dykes will welcome attendees to the party.
Fox said tee times for the afternoon session begin at 1:30 p.m. June 21, and sponsorships are still available.
“Our sponsorships are right on course,” Fox said. “We’re sticking with what we’ve done.”
The golf tournament, which is at Delaware Springs Municipal Golf Course, 600 Delaware Springs Blvd., is a four-person scramble and costs $125 per golfer.
For those who want to attend the tailgate party only at 6 p.m. June 20, tables of eight are available for $320 or $40 per attendee. The party is at the YMCA of the Highland Lakes at Galloway-Hammond, 1601 S. Water St. (U.S. 281).
The director said raising money is the result of the work of the two football coaches for whom the event is named: Bellard is the creator of the Texas wishbone offense, and Dykes guided the 1994 Texas Tech Red Raiders to the Cotton Bowl.
“They’re a big reason we’ve been able to raise this money,” she said.
Contact Fox at (512) 715-3367 or bfox@seton.org for more information or to sign up.
jfierro@thepicayune.com