Perfect fall weather brings a full slate of golfers out to "golf with a goal" for MU nursing
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A perfect fall day greeted a full field of teams competing in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing’s 9th annual “Fund the Drive for Nurses” golf tournament on Monday, October 6, at the Columbia Country Club. The event benefits the Fund the Drive for Nurses Endowed Scholarship Fund at Mizzou.
Prior to this years’ event, the tournament and support for this effort had already managed to garner more than $126,000 to help offset nursing student’s educational costs at MU through scholarship awards.
“With the rising costs of education, and the growing need for nurses in our state and nation,” said Director of Development Tracy Feller. “Scholarship awards are paramount to allowing us to accept the best and brightest students, regardless of their financial means. Our students need all the financial support we can provide them so they aren’t starting their career laden with steep educational debt. We are grateful for those who share our vision in offsetting these costs through support of this important effort. We are also delighted so many were on hand to meet our new Dean, Dr. Judith Fitzgerald Miller.”
Student scholarship recipients as well as faculty and staff lent a hand to thank participants for their support, while Dean Miller shared the details of the growing nursing shortage and the school’s mission to prepare nurses to address that need.
To date, 62 students have benefited from the more than $29,000 in awards already made. The 2008 Driving Force major sponsors helped underwrite the tournament so that a larger percentage of the participant’s donations could go directly to the scholarship fund. 2008 Driving Force sponsors included: Roxanne McDaniel; Larry and Annette Lueckenotte; Denice & Richard Mendenhall, Jack & Donna Smith, and new nursing Dean Judith Fitzgerald Miller.
The tourney’s hole-in-one sponsor was Gary Drewing and the newly acquired Legend Automotive. Lunch was graciously sponsored by Gary and Ginny Evans, and the award reception was hosted by Primaris, as well as other contributors.
Beverages were provided by Nauser Beverage, N.H. Scheppers Distributing, Walgreens on Broadway, Coca Cola Enterprises and Hy-Vee grocery store.
Taking home honors in the all-women’s flight was the team of Heiddi Davis, Marilyn Gaeth, Rebecca Highland and Heather Selsor who shot a 9 under par, 62 to clench the Championship First Place Women’s honors for the second year in a row.
Second place in the women’s flight went to the team of Eileen Dyer, Susan Mihalevich, Heidi Rice and Myrna White with a 68. The Third Place women’s trophies went to the team of Ann Cleek, Jo Crumpacker, Chris Favazza and Ginny Mechlin with a 70. They triumphed over the Robert D. Long sponsored team of Jeanie Wright, Odette Evans, Rachel Rau, and Linda Dreier in a scorecard playoff on the back 9 with a 33, over the 34 shot by the Long Team.
In the Men’s/Mixed Team Flight, First Place trophies went to Richard Ditter and his D’Sport Team, with a score of 55, 16 under par. The team consisted of Richard Ditter, Hardeep Bhullar, Bill Gartner and Bob Hutton.
Second place trophies went home with the 3-man Rolla team sponsored by Phelps County Regional Medical made up of Jeff Colinch, Kreig Moore, and Bill Wieties with a score of 58. And the day’s third place team in this flight was comprised of Dean Gregory, Rich Miller, Brian Neuner and Jim Riek who were sponsored by First National Bank, with a score of 59.
Specialty contest winners of the day included: Ed McDaniel Memorial Men’s Longest Drive Champion– Kevin Stull with 295 yards; Women’s Longest Drive Champion– Karen Rothery with 220 yards; Men’s Closest to the Pin Champion– Robert Heller who was 10.5” from hole # 13, and Women’s Closest to the Pin Champion – Jill Cox, who came within 4” of the cup on hole # 17.
Master of Ceremonies duties were handled by KOMU’s own Jim Riek. And Travis Ballenger lent his services for the live auction following play and just prior to the awards presentation to add to the proceeds toward the scholarship event.
The School of Nursing gratefully wishes to acknowledge its major sponsors, hole sponsors, beverage sponsors, live auction contributors and all of those and those that bid, contributed to, or volunteered to help make this year’s event a success.