By By BILL CRIST - Publisher
Give golfers an excuse to take an afternoon off and play a round, and apparently a good many of them will take you up on it. At least that's what 96 of us did last Thursday afternoon at the Country Club of Brewton. Couple the picture perfect weather we had with the fact that the money raised at the tournament was going toward a good cause and you can understand why there were so many smiles on players faces before the round, and even a few once play was completed.
The tournament, the Murder Creek Classic, is now in its fourth year and raises money for the Jefferson Davis Community College Foundation. Last year's tournament raised over $11,000 for the foundation and Thursday's turnout is a good indication that this year will be just as successful, if not more, for the group.
The Foundation plays a couple of roles for the local campus, but its primary mission is to provide scholarships for deserving students. They have held a variety of fundraisers over the years, but the golf tournament has grown into one of its most highly anticipated and successful annual events. While many local tournaments struggle to fill a field with 50 players, the fact that so many golfers came out to support the school is a testament to the important role the college plays in our community.
According to the college, the purpose of the Jefferson Davis Community College Foundation is to support Jefferson Davis Community College as it seeks to meet the educational and training needs of the citizens within the college's service area.
Earlier this year, the Foundation established its first endowed scholarship, the Curtis Finlay Endowed Scholarship, which was funded by the Curtis Finlay Foundation and contributions from college employees.
The award is based upon scholastic achievement, evaluation of the applicant's motivation, character, ability and financial need.
The Foundation also provided funding for the Rosemary C. Jernigan Honors Program's annual trip to New Orleans last December. Twenty-five members of the Honors Program and four chaperones participated in the trip. While in New Orleans, the students saw "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Saenger Theatre, enjoyed a walking tour of the French Quarter, visited the French Market and had the opportunity to sample New Orleans cuisine.
Foundation funds from the April 2000 Art in Bloom, sponsored by Joe and Carol Gordy of Natural Decorations, Inc., are designated for cultural enrichment activities for this program. Art in Bloom remains one of the most successful fundraisers in the school's history.
So while Thursday's event was a good excuse for many of us to take the afternoon off, a lot more was accomplished than simply a few rounds of golf. As the economy has many businesses and individuals carefully checking every dollar they give to charity, the foundation has been able to carve a niche for itself with a fun and profitable event. The money that was raised last week will be put to good use, building a more solid foundation for our community by helping make the education that so many of our young people need available to them.