Rachelle Alcini, ALLY CHALLENGE
Director of Event Management, spoke this morning about this respected golf competition ($2.2M purse!) coming to this area August 18-24. (Information about scheduled events, entertainment, tickets, and opportunities for generating and donating money in conjunction with the event are available HERE.) Rachelle gave a lot of attention to volunteer opportunities surrounding the week-long event: with varying levels of commitment, time (a couple hours to a full week), knowledge (many tasks requiring no golf knowledge/experience), skill (driving professional contestants to/from area airports/hotels), and stamina (sitting in chairs vs. carrying signs, in shade or on hot days), a person could pass out water bottles, deliver messages, or be a “Hole Captain” and recruit/coordinate crowd control issues. A “Charity Chip-In” allows area non-profits to publicize the event and solicit donations that Mott Foundation will match, and the charities receive donations (over $1M) in return. (Check HERE for more info.) Rachelle also noted other efforts that mesh well with our Club mission: a collaboration with McLaren for “Adaptive Golf”, OI’s “Junior Golf” program, and use of youth (13-17 years) as “Standard Bearers” (carrying information regarding leaders, hole numbers, and scores). The history and future of the Warwick Hills golf competitions remain an ongoing conversation.
Before Phil Holmblade introduced Rachelle as speaker, the 13 members present had a lot of playful interchange (fines against “the Southerly Table for holding their own meeting being matched by a reciprocal fine “against the northerly table for being so boring” that the South tried to secede.
Considerable interest in the “final numbers” for Summerfest 2025 are not yet available, but general impression and consensus is that the event was, again, a rousing success in the community and is believed to have generated approximately $10,000 “for the kids” that we support. Thanks to all the members who supported the event with their presence, work, and contributions!! We also generated considerable interest in the Club and its programs that can really help in our membership in the future. (See photos below of the tent before it was abounding in patrons!)
Sleep in Heavenly Peace reminds us of the August 16 Build Day at the Birch Run Speedway – please put this on your schedule. We will have some additional work to do for this Build in light of the fact that Job Corps trainees have been doing “pre-cuts” of lumber and that is not going to be happening in light of governmental rescission of funding.
This afternoon’s “Stammtisch” at Kathy’s in Flushing (3:30), and this evening’s NOW meeting (sponsored by Downtown Optimists at Flint Farmers Market) at 5:30 welcome participation!
The “50/50 Progressive Pot” grew to $1152 in light of Steve Schlott‘s selection of the “Ace of Hearts” rather than the “Queen of Diamonds” this morning. Better luck next time, Steve!”
