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African American Golfer’s
Digest Readies Its GolfFEST 2010
City-Wide Public Festival Launching in Augusta, Georgia,
During Masters Week 2010
Augusta GolfFEST 2010 Announced At Press
Conference With
Mayor Deke Copenhaver For Developing African American Golf
Exhibit
At Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History
NEW YORK, NY (September 9, 2009) –The African American
Golfer’s Digest, the nation’s leading print
publication and online portal for avid black golfers, announced
its Augusta GolfFEST 2010 in partnership with the Lucy Craft
Laney Museum of Black History (LCLMBH) in Augusta, Georgia.
The week-long festival will be held April 5-11, 2010 during
the excitement of Masters Week--providing family fun, educational
programs and more.
The Augusta GolfFEST theme: “Celebrating Family,
History, Fitness & Golf” highlights the variety
of activities being offered for enjoyment by the entire
family with information to inspire, support and educate
attendees on how to include golf as a part of a healthy
lifestyle, business, or career. More details are available
at www.AugustaGolfFest.com
A press conference was held at 11:00 a.m. on September
8th at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History located
at: 1116 Phillips Street, Augusta, GA 30401. In attendance
was the Mayor of Augusta, Deke Copenhaver, Senator Tarver,
State Representatives and other stakeholders.
Lewis Myers/FREELON |
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The specific purpose for Augusta GolfFEST is fundraising,
as its team of local hosts, the Lucy Craft Laney Museum
of Black History and Planning Committee members aim to use
proceeds from the week-long event for helping to create
an expansion of the museum complex. The new space at this
nationally recognized historic site would be dedicated to
collecting, preserving and displaying decades of artefacts,
documents, photographs, film footage and other items related
to the significant history and contributions made by African
Americans to golf. In addition, the committee is planning
an exhibition that is to eventually become a travelling
display.
“I am pleased with the opportunity to bring this
all-encompassing program focused on golf to Augusta; the
home of the Masters. Augusta is the perfect destination
for honouring and celebrating the impact that African Americans
have made to the game, becoming some of the best in their
field as caddies, players and professionals. Augusta attracts
millions of visitors during Masters Week and the Augusta
GolfFEST is an exciting addition which will recognize our
history and excellence in golf and unite us in the spirit
of the game,” said publisher, Debert Cook.
According to the museum’s Executive Director, Christine
Miller-Betts, “We are excited with the prospects presented
by our partnering with African American Golfer’s Digest
to host the inaugural Augusta GolfFEST. The theme, ‘Celebrating
Family, History Fitness & Golf’ is perfectly aligned
with our mission at Lucy Craft Laney Black History Museum.
The variety of activities we will present will afford more
Augustans the opportunity to participate in the spirit of
the Masters Week.”
The festival’s events will be educational, entertaining
and mostly free, with some involving a nominal fee. The
excitement kick-offs on Thursday, April 8th with a colorful
“Golf Cart” parade (Curtis Street to Phillips
Street) en-route to the official ribbon-cutting and opening
of the street fair that will launch Augusta GolfFEST’s
active, week-long schedule: art exhibition, career seminars,
women’s opportunity brunch, community forum, Town
Hall meeting, golf tournament, gala dinner fundraiser and
fireworks are among the list.
“There is a no more appropriate location than Augusta
for that recognition and tribute. We have engaged The Freelon
Group (www.FREELON.com) as our architects; a nationally
recognized award winning design firm that has completed
museums in Baltimore, San Francisco, Charlotte, Greensboro
and Raleigh, NC. They were recently awarded the commissions
to design the Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta
and the National Museum of African American History and
Culture that will be the last building on the National Mall
in Washington, DC,” says Miller-Betts, who has 13
years of service with the museum.
The gala dinner fundraiser (black-tie) will be held on
Saturday, April 10th, 2010 in downtown Augusta and will
welcome a celebrity host, recognize corporate excellence
in golf, and honor Black caddies for their distinguished
service to the sport. Tickets for the dinner program are
limited and must be purchased in advance.
“Your full participation and any contribution is
welcomed, (monetary and/or in-kind) to support this initiative,
says Ms. Cook. “With the support of the residents
of Augusta and the global golf community we anticipate being
able to increase financial resources for this notable and
historic project.”
The Augusta GolfFEST Committee includes the following members:
Debert Cook, CMP and publisher of African American Golfer’s
Digest; Christine Miller-Betts, Executive Director of the
Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History; Corey Rogers,
Historian for the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History,
Rosa Clemons, Board Chair for the Lucy Craft Laney Museum
of Black History and Marquette Folley, Curatorial Advisor/Exhibition
Developer.
Augusta GolfFEST will provide online registration available
for vendor/exhibitor and participation information along
with individual, corporate, and team sponsorship opportunities.
A full schedule of activities and rendering of the new wing
that is being planned for the LCLMBH has launched online
at the program website: www.AugustaGolfFest.com
For additional information contact Event Planners Plus!
at (212) 571-6559, or contact the Lucy Craft Laney Museum
of Black History at (706) 724-3576.
About African American Golfer’s Digest
The African American Golfer's Digest launched in March
2003 and is the nation’s leading authority and online
portal for avid black golfers. It is headquartered in New
York City’s financial district and is a 100% minority-owned
and operated business. This woman-owned publication is the
only golf magazine specifically targeting the African American
demographic. Named PGA of America Diverse Supplier the African
American Golfer’s Digest’s massive editorial
appeal derives from its grass roots approach, and partnerships
are generated with more than 250 top, Black-focused golf
tournaments and events annually around the country. The
40-page, full-color quarterly enjoys a circulation of 20,000
and reaches 80,000 readers nationwide. Its editorial content
focuses on news, tips, information and activities in the
“soulful” world of golf including travel destinations,
golf courses, product and equipment reviews, youth, teen
and professional golfer profiles with several hosted signature
events annually: Bayou Golf Tournament (July, New Orleans,
La.), Diversity Pavilion at the PGA Merchandise Show &
Convention (January, Orlando, Fla.), Outstanding Leaders
in Golf Awards (January, Orlando, Fla.), Friends & Family
Golf Cruise (February/Mexico) and the inaugural Augusta
GolfFEST (Augusta, Ga., April). Promotional, marketing and
advertising opportunities are available for the print edition,
online at its website and for signature programs and events.
The magazine’s memberships include the United States’
Golf Association (USGA), National Golf Foundation (NGF),
International Network of Golf (ING), and Metropolitan Golf
Writers Association. To learn more about the publication
visit www.AfricanAmericanGolfersDigest.com
About The Lucy Craft Laney Museum
The Lucy Craft Laney Museum is the only African American
Museum dedicated to art, history and preservation in the
Central Savannah River Area (CRSA, Augusta and its surrounding
Areas). The museum, which opened in 1991, is a small house
museum that was the former home of Miss Lucy Craft Laney.
Miss Laney dedicated her life to providing educational opportunities
for Black youth in the Augusta and CSRA areas. She was the
founder of the Haines Normal and Industrial Institute which
was located on the present site of the Lucy Laney Comprehensive
High School. She started the first kindergarten for Black
children in Augusta and founded the Lamar School of Nursing
for black women. The museum is located at: 1116 Phillips
Street, Augusta, GA, in the Historic Laney-Walker District,
near the original site of the Haines Normal and Industrial
Institute. The mission of the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of
Black History is to promote the legacy of Miss Laney through
arts, history and the preservation of her home. We accomplish
this awesome task by educating and exposing children and
adults of the CSRA, the State, and beyond with African American
art, history and preservation through exhibits and programs.
www.LucyCraftLaneyMuseum.com
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