BARBARA TAYLOR
Blog: September/October 2013
THETA ALPHA OMEGA
LONG BEACH CHAPTER
“TEE’S OFF”
FOR IT’S 3rd ANNUAL
PEARL FOUNDATION CHARITY
GOLF TOURNAMENT
On Monday, August 12, 2013 good friends and supporters set out onto the beautiful Navy Destroyer Golf Course, in Cypress, California to enjoy 18 holes of golf, camaraderie and fun. Whether or not you were a winner of the sport, you were a winner for participating in this worth while Charity Golf Tournament, everyone had a wonderful time of fellowship, in support of The Pearl Foundation, Inc., an affiliate of The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Theta Alpha Omega Long Beach Chapter: Who once again hit a hole in one for education at their 3rd annual Pearl Foundation Charity Golf Tournament.
This is the 2nd year that I’ve been invited to attend/participate as a player/blogger in the spectacular Charity Golf Tournament, however this year I had to solicit information through an debriefing interview with AKA Lahti Knight, Co-Chair of publicity for this AKA Chapter. To answer your question, the answer is NO, I was not to busy golfing to fulfill my promise to blog this event, I was “kinda” needed in Canada.
After my frist day of debriefing with Lahti I concluded that, much like last year, I found myself touch by the number of participating golfers.
This year the AKA’s attracted Eighty fired up golfers. Among those 80 included two Junior Golf Teams: three from the First Tee of South Los Angeles (Maggie Hathaway’s golf course), four from the Millikan High school golf team, a foursome from The Tee Divas & Tee Dudes of Los Angeles (golfers were, Doris LaCour Founder/President, Jo Alexander, Rosemary Spriggs and Marcia Brickley), also included in that number was the first two African American Fire Chiefs of the Los Angeles Fire Department, Chief Daryl Osby, and past Fire Chief Douglas Barry.
Each year This Charity event raises Thousands of scholarship dollars for deserving college-bound students from underserved communities. The Pearl Foundation Scholarship Fund and the Emerging Young Leaders Program that targets middle and high school youths in the Long Beach, and surrounding Los Angeles areas. This year there were five notably substantial and generous Donor/ Sponsors participating, and approximately 74 Tee Sponsors @ $150.00 per Tee.
The Tee sponsorship committee, chaired by Frances Seary, did a spectacular job– which was evident by the number of participants, and they raised the largest part of scholarship money.
This year a hopeful winner of the “HOLE-IN-ONE” contest couda/wouda walked straight to their 2014 Lexus, sponsored by Lexus of Cerritos, California. Well that didn’t happen, so they didn’t. However what the contest did, was draw many competitive golfers to the registration table, mumbling “I wanna win that car, sign me up to play now!”
Above: Millikan High Golf Team pictured above shaking hands with KABC News morning C0-Anchor Leslie Sykes
Again this year KABC Eyewitness news morning Co-Anchor Leslie Sykes served as the Honorary Chair of this event. Upon Leslie’s arrival she was met at hole #1 for welcome greetings from the Tournament Chairperson Rhonda Dowdy, Co-Chairs Berta Sightler and Annette Little. After the meet and greet Leslie got into a golf cart and anxiously went to meet and greet, encourage, and shake hands, with the Junior golfers, while posing for individualual and group photos.
Leslie had a Hugh impact on the lives of these impressive young golfers, as some folks would say, “Those youngsters looked like they were walking in high cotton”. Without a doubt Leslie Sykes made quite an impression on the Junior Golfers and, played a vital role in the success of this Charity event.
As for Me…Barbara, a blogger, golfer,and youth activist I will say, without reservation, that the AKA’s Theta Alpha Omega Long Beach Chapter provide exceptional Junior Golfers with the opportunity to develop and showcase their competitive skills, while setting high standards to preserve the tradition and integrity of the game called “Golf”.
Speaking of high standards, integrity, and let me add polite Junior Golfers, I need to stop right now, at this very moment and do my JOB, by introducing to you, my readers seven awesome junior golfers from the Millikan High School Golf Team and The First Tee of South Los Angeles, who played their hearts out at this challenging golf course to showcase their accomplishments.
Junior Golfers (pictured above) receiving their awards, from left to right:
Brice Morrison, age 16, Varsity and Jr. Varsity at Millikan High Golf Team;
Clive Weaver (AKA-CJ), age 16, junior Varsity at Millikan High Golf Team;
Michael Angioli, age 15, Varsity at Millikan High Golf Team;
Lance Applewhite, age 17, Junior Varsity at Millikan High Golf Team;
Jay Jay Standberry, age 17, 2.1 handicap- Eagle Level, The First Tee of South Los Angeles;
Miah Mouton, age 14, no handicap, Birdie level, The First Tee of South Los Angeles.
Skylar Graham, age 11, 15.5 handicap, Birdie level at The First Tee of South Los Angeles.
More than 175 golfers and non-golfers attended the awards banquet, and I understand the food was delicious, as I remember it last year. Banquet honorees posthumously awards for outstanding contributions to the field of education included Dr. Abel Baxton Sykes Jr., President, Compton Community College, and Mr. Jesse Kendrick, Principal, LAUSD and Mrs. Doris Kendrick, LAUSD teacher and AKA Sorority member. A Great time was had by all in attendance.
Now a word from Rhonda Dowdy Co-Chairman of this event: “We are thankful for the many supporters and participants who helped to make this event a big success”
“it’s all about the children and our future. We have a responsibility to make sure the next generation of young students has access to advance education that leads to self-sufficiency and success”
I would like to take “My Opportunity” to give a “shout out” and applaud the Junior Golfers from The First Tee of South Los Angeles, and Millikan High Gold Team, they stayed focus, and did a speculator job!!
I also want to remind you readers that this tournament is open to ALL, including out-of-staters, and amature golfers with, and without, a handicap Index Eligibility. So will we see you next year ?
Email me and let me know what your thoughts are!
Until next time,
Barbara Taylor
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