The Long County Alumni Association held its annual golf tournament Saturday, and according to tournament organizer Steven Moore, this year’s turnout was very pleasing.
“With the economic difficulties that everyone is going through, the support from our sponsors and the turnout we got today is unbelievable,” Moore said.
Twenty-one teams competed in the event with two flights of competition. Taking home the top spot in the first flight was the duo of Ben Floyd and Travis Crowley, while the runner-up team consisted of Ray Hollaway and Caleb Hollaway. In the second flight, the top team was Terry Sellars and Matthew Sellars, while the second-place duo was husband and wife team Robert and Debbie Darby. In the four closest-to-the-pin par-3 contests, Dale Rowe took home the honors at holes 3 and 17, while Jack Shuman won the prize at number 13 and Floyd won at number 7.
Tournament coordinator Darrell Ballance said that this was the ninth year of the tournament and that it will continue to help individuals and organizations in Long County.
“Just the other night, we gave away five $500 scholarships to graduating seniors from Long County High School, and we were able to give one to every applicant that we had,” he said.
The alumni association funds the Raymond I. Fulcher Scholarship and the Ray Hollaway Scholarship. This year’s recipients were Laura Clary, Jarquez Payne, Ruth Francis, Aerial Morales and Taylor Harrison.
The alumni association also funds civic organizations in need in Long County, and some of the donations that they have made include buying books for the media center at Smiley Elementary School, purchasing a video camera for the Walker Middle School football team and contributing $500 to the Walker High School reunion committee to help with its goal of placing a historic marker at what is now Walker Middle School.
“We’re here to help whoever we can, but we need help, too. Anyone who is a graduate of Long County High School is automatically in the alumni association. If someone can’t actually come out and work with the golf tournament, but they can make a donation, we need it. None is too big or too small,” Balance said.
Donations can be sent to Long County Alumni Association, P.O. Box 871, Ludowici, GA 31316.
Photos of the winners are on page 2B.
More photos online at www.coastalcourier.com.