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by Ed Hiscock, |
Charity begins everywhere
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I think it hit me at the GCSAA pancake breakfast for the United Way. Or maybe it was while I was reading the all-staff e-mail about volunteering for Junior Achievement. In any case, I started thinking about all the ways that GCSAA and its staff contribute to the association’s hometown of Lawrence, Kan., its environs around Douglas County, Kan., and worthy national charities.
Then I started thinking about how so much of those contributions are done in the name of GCSAA and its members — that is, in your name — and that you as a member may not even be aware of it.
GCSAA makes numerous contributions to local and national charities, most of which are determined by staff members who make up the Community Outreach Group (COG). The COG directs GCSAA’s corporate contributions and has a lot to do with organizing charitable events on the individual level, because even if there’s no direct association involvement, we recognize that we can make more of a difference as 120 individuals working together than we can by giving separately.
Charities that receive a GCSAA donation have to meet one of four criteria. They have to either provide support to children of the community, provide for the overall welfare of the community, promote the game of golf or help inform the community about GCSAA and its mission.
Beyond funds, the group also reviews requests for GCSAA staff volunteers, which might result in staff members working on a weekend to build a Habitat for Humanity home or organizing a bowl-a-thon for Junior Achievement. In addition, your association allots two hours a month for each staff member to do some type of charitable volunteer work, which may be as simple — and as important — as making a blood donation.
A partial list of charities and causes that have benefited from your association’s involvement includes the Lawrence Schools Foundation, the March of Dimes Walk America, the Boy Scouts of America, Women’s Transitional Care Services, the Douglas County Red Cross and the “Light the Night” event of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. And I can’t forget that we adopt a family for the holidays.
GCSAA also supports such local efforts as the annual Laugh Olympics, which raises funds to find cures for sickle cell anemia and ALS. Founded by GCM Senior Associate Editor Seth Jones, the Laugh Olympics is a day-long fun affair in remembrance of Seth’s good friend and former GCSAA staff member John Wake, who died of sickle cell a few years ago. The event raised more than $11,000 this year.
One of GCSAA’s values is “The compassionate benevolence that compels golf course superintendents to give of their time, skills and resources to serve their colleagues and communities.” I hope the partial list above provides evidence that your association and its employees share those values.
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