Two decades of charity
Published 11:40 pm Saturday, October 10, 2015
Inclement weather delayed the 20th annual City Treasurer’s United Way Golf Tournament by two weeks, but the event thrived on Friday, its new date, with about a hundred golfers participating.
Suffolk city treasurer Ronald H. Williams confirmed the event raised about $18,000 this year and was pleased with how it went.
“I thought it was wonderful, particularly in light of it was the first time that we’ve had to use a rain date,” he said.
Shirley Snead, executive secretary for the Suffolk city treasurer’s office and coordinator of the tournament, was excited to have reached the 20th year of the event.
“To me, it’s an accomplishment, because when we started 20 years ago, it was kind of like a dream,” she said. “We were looking for fundraisers, and I kind of went to Ron and said, ‘I know how we can raise some money. Let’s have a golf tournament.’”
One thing led to another and they put together the first one, “and each year it’s grown,” she said on Friday. “We’re a little bit down on the numbers this year because of the postponement and the weather, but today is great.”
She noted the tournament has raised a lot of money during its run, an amount that Williams estimated at about $370,000.
“And it’s for a good cause,” Snead said. “It’s the best way to give to the most people.”
As usual, a variety of local organizations will be aided by the money raised this year.
One that was in particularly great need was the Suffolk chapter of the Boys and Girls Club. It had a sizable gap in its budget between revenue and expenditures and was at risk of having to close, which would have created a real void in the community.
Williams said people stepped up to help, and he designates $3,000 from the tournament that adds to the support.
“They’ve turned a corner,” he said of the club’s Suffolk unit. “I think they’re doing better than ever.”
Another organization aided by the tourney is the Sickle Cell Association.
“They actually did close their Suffolk office, and we give them $1,500 a year from the golf tournament,” Williams said.
It helped the group work through the difficulties and re-open the Suffolk office.
Receiving $3,000 through the tournament is the American Cancer Society via the Suffolk Relay for Life Campaign.
“The proceeds raised from (the tourney) comprise approximately 20 percent of the City of Suffolk’s United Way campaign,” Williams said.
Other organizations to benefit from the event include Wounded Warriors ($1,000), Suffolk Education Foundation ($1,000) and Suffolk Crime Line ($500).
The city treasurer’s tournament is the largest special event fundraiser for the United Way of South Hampton Roads.
“As long as the community is supporting it, we’ll continue to do it,” Williams said.
The winner of the first flight in the golf tournament was the Dewberry Team, which included Scott Funk, Randy Darden, Tony Skiba and Denny Lewis.
Tommy Everitt of Suffolk won the helicopter golf ball drop.