When Donna Price attended a marketing seminar on effecting change in a community, she never thought it would lead to co-founding an annual event, benefitting families in Richmond.
The Tee-Cup Golf tournament was born 10 years ago, three months after Price met fellow co-founders Janet Clouston and Christine Campbell at the seminar. Proceeds from the event go to the Touchstone Family Association of Richmond, a non-profit social service agency, providing services such as family counselling and support programs for at-risk youths.
The funds raised at the Tee-Cup go specifically to fund Touchstone’s Front Porch program. While most of Touchstone’s programs are funded by the government, this one depends on donations. It allows families to receive counselling, and pay what they can afford.
In the last nine years, the tournament has raised $150,000 and went from attracting 28 golfers to almost 100 last year.
“It’s a fun event going to a great cause,” Price said, explaining the trio decided on hosting a women’s golf tournament because they all liked golf, and golf tournaments attracted men mostly.
“It’s also a great way to meet and network with other professional women.”
Some of the fun occurs at the different holes with games such as throwing a ball through a hoop for a prize, a competition on who can putt closest to a pin, a barbecue on the green, and a candy table. There will also be two hole-in-one contests with cash prizes of $10,000 and $5,000, a silent auction and a buffet dinner. Interestingly, the tournament’s grand prize is teacups.
“Janet’s mom was the first of our moms to pass away and she said, ‘I have all these teacups, what am I going to do with them,” Price explained. “So we decided to make teacups the grand prize, and it’s also as a play on words as we spell teacup with two E’s.”
This year’s Tee-Cup tournament will be held at on Thursday, Sept. 17 at Country Meadows Golf Club, with the shotgun start at 1 p.m.
Cost is $150 per golfer and $60 to attend the dinner only.
Single golfers are encouraged to participate and will be placed into teams of four. For more information or to register, visit www.teecupgolf.com.
