Marco Eagle

Golf Charities gifting brings many smiles

By ROGER LALONDE
April 21, 2008

There were a lot of smiling faces as the Southwest Florida Golf Charities, Inc. gave out $132,500 for high school scholarships and golf programs and significant charities.

The annual Sponsor, Player and Volunteer Appreciation Reception was at the Eagle Creek Golf and Country Club on Thursday.

The club is the home of the Bill Owen Classic, a golf outing that raises the funds to support the Golf Charities gifting program.

Irv Sherwood, Charities board president, lauded all those who made it possible for a one-day event that has provided more than $1.25 million over the past 19 years, with all the money being used locally.

The gift list included $8,000 for eight Collier County High School golf programs, with the boys and girls programs getting $500 each. Another $45,000 was divided among nine county high schools for post-graduate scholarships. Eleven Collier County Title I Elementary and Middle School programs, including Manatee Elementary and Middle schools, received $2,500 each. The Care Club of Collier County received $2,000. The Parkside Elementary School tennis and golf camp, provided at Eagle Creek Golf and Country Club, was funded by a $5,000 gift.

In matching gifts from the Golf Charities and the Gene and Mary Sarazen Foundation, The Education Foundation of Collier County received $10,000, as did the Florida Gulf Coast Professional Golf Management Program. Avow Hospice of Marco Island, Naples and Immokalee again received $25,000.

“Over the years, our organization has given more than $100,000 in support of county high school golf programs,” Sherwood said. “Since 1989 we have provided 118 scholarships, gifting $850,000 for education.”

Patty Owen, wife of the late Bill Owen, thanked the more than 200 people at the reception, urging them to continue their good work.

The Classic began 19 years ago with Owen and a few friends raising $500 for golf programs through a golf outing. The 2008 outing saw a record 248 golfers participate, raising more than $120,000.

Lillian Roach of The Education Foundation of Collier County said the funds will be used to provide education for at-risk students. The program begins assisting students as early as seventh grade to help them make the right choices that puts them on the path to a higher education.

Steve Eisenberg, chairman of the FGCU Professional Golf Management Program, said the Golf Charities was the only organization that contributes to the program that produces golf course and club managers. Quentin Smith, who is in his junior year in the FGCU program, was introduced. He applies what he is learning as part of Eagle Creek’s Outside Services staff.

The 20th Annual Bill Owen Classic will be Jan. 26, 2009.

Archives for April 2008

Please be aware that there is a boil water order in effect fro all of Eagle Creek until 7:30 PM today, April 29th due to a water main break on Rattlesnake Hammock Road and extends all the way to Marco Island.

Randy Van Alstine

Secretary,

Eagle Creek Community Association

APRIL 28, 2008

PLEASE POST A NOTICE THAT THERE IS A BOIL WATER ORDER IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EAGLE CREEK FROM 7:30 P.M. TONIGHT UNTIL 7:30 TOMORROW NIGHT.

THERE WAS A WATER MAIN BREAK ON RATTLESNAKE HAMMOCK ROAD AND IT EXTENDS ALL THE WAY TO MARCO ISLAND.

AND, PLEASE TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS! THANK YOU!

ANN BERGER

COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION MANAGER

Naples Daily News

WHEN VENTURI SPEAKS, PEOPLE DONATE

By Greg Hardwig

Southwest Florida Golf Charities, Inc., distributed over $130,000 from its Bill Owen Golf Classic at Eagle Creek Country Club last Thursday.

Unlike a year ago, the tournament banquet was held at the Eagle Creek clubhouse. In 2007, St. Finnbarr’s Community Center while the clubhouse was being renovated.

And the money was handed out after an appearance at the tournament by Ken Venturi, the former Marco Island resident and longtime CBS Sports golf analyst.

Venturi moved to the West Coast several years ago, but returned in part to celebrate the tournament going over the $1 million mark in total donations in 2007.

“By having Kenny here in January, it brought 248 players out here, a lot of people who didn’t know anything about this tournament,’’ charity president Irv Sherwood said.

Sherwood pointed out that the support of donors plays as much a part in the total contributions as the revenue generated by the golf tournament itself. Over 80 percent of the total came from sponsors or miscellaneous donations.

“That’s where the revenue comes from, the generosity,’’ said Sherwood, who credited the charity board for its work on the event.

The 2008 breakdown: $27,500 ($2,500 for 11 Collier County Title One Elementary and Middle Schools); $45,000 (9 Collier County High Schools for college scholarships); $8,000 ($1,000 to eight Collier County High School golf programs); $5,000 Education Foundation of Collier County for college scholarships (matched by the Foundation’s $5,000 gift); $5,000, Florida Gulf Coast University Professional Golf Management Program (matched by Sarazen Foundation’s $5,000); $2,000 Care Club of Collier County, a daycare for older people suffering from dementia; $2,500, Eagle Creek and Parkside Elementary SChool Tennis and Golf Summer Camp; and $25,000 for Avow Hospice of Naples, Marco Island and Immokalee (for the 14th year).

Jim Lackey

For some time, the residents of Eagle Creek have been wanting left turn signals installed on Price Street at the intersection of US 41. The good news is the left turn signals have now been installed, both for the traffic exiting onto US 41 from our side and from the Freedom Plaza side. We can thank County Commissioner District #1 Donna Fiala for making this possible.

You may recall that approximately one year ago the FDOT Traffic Manager told me that the traffic count did not support the cost of installing left turn signals; however, he said that FDOT would return some time later and do another traffic count after the Lowe's store has opened for business and Artesia was more fully developed. FDOT has obviously had gotten the word that we did not want to wait that long.

Jim Lackey