Mini-golf to support Red Cross
To the Editor:
The Sheboygan County Chapter of the American Red Cross will be sponsoring a rather unique fundraiser – bet you hear that phrase all the time – but really, this is different. The second annual Putt for Red Cross from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, June 5, at Tom and Jerry’s Mini-Putt golf course in Plymouth is not your normal golf tournament … it is one that focuses not on golfing on a regular golf course, but on a mini-putt golf course.
We will have a competitive event sanctioned by the USPMGA – the United States Pro Mini Golf Association – yes, there really is a professional association for mini-putt golf. The competitive event entry fee is $25 and offers prizes totaling $2,500. Paid competitors can golf free practice rounds the week of the event to determine the “breaks” in the course. There will be a shotgun start at 9 a.m. and the winners will be determined based on the scores from five rounds of play.
In addition to the sanctioned event that is open to the public, we also have a fun event that anyone can participate in. The just-for-fun golf course entry fee is $10, but includes a coupon for a free appetizer to the Highland House restaurant in Sheboygan. Individuals may also win coupons for various prizes for hole-in-one on selected holes.
Additionally, we will have a brat fry that will feature world-famous Sheboygan brats and hamburgers plus a silent auction and bucket drawings for tickets to the PGA 2010 at Whistling Straits, Bucks and Brewers tickets, hotel packages, an autographed Packer football, and a personally autographed photo of professional PGA golfer Steve Stricker as well as many other prizes and art items.
Like many nonprofits, we have been hit hard by the recession when it comes to donations. The discretionary income of the average citizen is down from previous years. Plus many of the donations that we received this year were designated for disasters such as Haiti.
Our chapter does not keep one penny of designated donation, but sends them on to National to be used specifically for the disaster it is intended to help. We are not government-funded so we do not receive any tax money. We are not funded by the National Red Cross … each chapter must generate its own funds to run their facility and serve the citizens of their community. We are therefore forced to rely on fundraisers.
For additional information or to register for the competitive portion of the event, call the Sheboygan County Chapter at 920-457-7739 or come into the chapter at 2032 Erie Ave. in Sheboygan.
Clara Murphy, Health and Safety Services manager,
serving the counties of Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and Calumet for the American Red Cross
