Glenville Rotary’s annual golf tournament fundraiser
Melodies from a bagpipe player stretched over the rolling hills of Van Patten Golf Club as golfers lined up to sign-in outside the clubhouse for the twelfth annual Glenville Rotary Club Golf Classic.
On Thursday, August 5, 138 people came to chip, putt, compete and share a few laughs while supporting the Glenville Rotary Club’s efforts throughout the community. In order to peruse projects the club relies on a strong turnout to raise a majority of their funding.
It is a win/win they have fun and we are able to raise money for good causes,` said club member David Hitchcock.
Besides hitting birdies on the course, there were golfing related games, a poker contest, a 50-50 with prizes totaling $3,500 and on hole 10 there was a photographer taking pictures of groups.
Glenville Rotary Club President Beth Gregory said she thought the tournament raised around $8,000 that day. The turnout was also about what the club expected to see for the event.
`It is our biggest fundraiser of the year and it gives us our operating money to do the types of things that we do,` said Greg Phillips, event coordinator. `One of the big things we are doing this year is we are hosting a student from Ecuador, so we have a kid from Ecuador living in local homes and going to local schools and learning about our culture.`
The club helped Parkside YMCA with reconstruction efforts of their new pavilion and trails connecting to Indian Meadows park, while improving the camps ability to provide a more effective summer day camp program. Without the tournament, funds would be hard to attain for the project.
`We can’t thank Glenville Rotary enough for their involvement in building the pavilion at Indian Meadows Park,` said John Wyatt, minors commissioner and fund raiser for Burnt Hills`Ballston Lake Little League. `It as provided us a nice addition to our facilities, it has made out little league one of the nicest in the area and allowed us to host a state tournament.`
Another important project, said Gregory, is The Dictionary Project where dictionaries are given to third graders and thesauruses are handed out to fifth graders in Scotia-Glenville Central School District. Also, the club helps the needy, such as donating to regional food banks.
`I think that what we do is important and I want to be there to support the club,` Gregory said regarding her desire to be president of the club.
Support for the club was definitely felt as the golf cart engines began and players spread out in all directions like busy worker bees protecting a hive.
`It is enjoyable and people love it,` said Phillips. `A lot of Rotarians happen to be golfers, so it is something people can get out and have fun. People are willing to pay a little bit of a premium for fundraising golf tournaments, so their going to pay a little extra, which means that we can keep some of the revenues for our projects.`
Hitchcock said members from other local Rotary clubs came out to the tournament to show their support and the being involved in the Rotary is taking part in a fellowship.
`I wouldn’t say we all know each other, but it’s as if we do it is like we’re old buds,` said Hitchcock. `I’ve gotten more out of Rotary then I ever thought when I joined. It just snowballed and I get more and more involved in stuff and take more and more responsibilities because I love it.`
The Glenville Rotary Club has meetings in the Turf Tavern, located in Scotia, at 7:15 a.m. every Friday.“
