The Kiwanis Club of Tellico Village’s golf tournament and fundraiser is days away, and club members believe its impact is significant.
The tourney is set for 9 a.m. Saturday at Toqua Golf Course. A continental breakfast and lunch from Chick-fil-A will be provided participants.
“This is the major fundraiser for us every year and this is where we probably raise two-thirds of our money that we give out to kids over the rest of the year,” Phil Smith, event co-chair, said. “This year it looks like it will be an equally good success. We’ve had really good support from business sponsors and we’ve signed up 104 golfers, which is the capacity of the golf course at this time with the golf cart situation that they have, so a full field and good support from businesses.
“Many businesses that had dropped out last year due to the COVID situation and pandemic have come back this year so it’s been very gratifying,” he added. “... I think everything’s as per normal but we’re gratified that it’s been so well supported and we’re looking forward to a Saturday with no rain.”
Last year’s tourney collected more than $19,000.
Event co-chair Rick Hamm said Kids First Child Advocacy Center of the Ninth Judicial District and Area 22 Special Olympics, which includes Loudon and Monroe counties, will benefit at specific holes.
Participants can also pay a golf professional to take a shot. Money raised will go to local Special Olympics.
“On hole No. 18 we’re having a ‘shoot the moon,’ which is where one of our Loudon County Sheriff’s (Office) deputies will be shooting golf balls from a gun,” Hamm said. “... That ball will go from what I’ve seen farther than probably most anybody’s drive. There’s a donation for that and at that hole it’s going to benefit the CAC.”
Last year’s designated charity holes collected an additional $2,500, Smith said.
Prizes will be awarded for longest drive, pitch and putt and closest to the pin.
“We certainly put the focus on even though you can win things for what I call a reasonable registration rate of $50, plus whatever your golf cost is here, that you’re finding out more of what Kiwanis does,” Hamm said. “It enables us to interact with more of the community of people that we don’t maybe see all the time. Could be an outreach for us to get future Kiwanians and find out more of where our money goes.
“We probably have close to 50 different things we’re doing,” he added. “Some things we support financially, some with manpower, some we do both. There’s a lot of activities going on, but 100% of what we net after we pay our expenses goes back into the community.”
The golf tournament and two pancake breakfasts are the club’s major annual fundraisers.
Kiwanis will hold the first breakfast since 2019 on Nov. 13 at the Community Church at Tellico Village. More information will be provided as the event gets closer.
“That’s also very well-attended event and people look forward to it,” Hamm said. “I think that some of the thing because of the socialization and just to have something different people enjoy these events. ... We usually feed a good 900 people at each one.”
