One organizations drive to lift up aspiring HBCU Students
April 22, 2021 | By Vanessa Hundley
The launch of the new decade in 2020 ushered in an era of many hopes and dreams. Then the pandemic hit, causing a tidal wave of change in our social and business interactions, public interests, health concerns, education and financial dealings. It has been, and continues to be, a time where many of us will face challenges we never could have anticipated and losses we can never recover.
It is also, however, a time of community and hope. Every day efforts are being made to help others recover and thrive as they navigate their current reality, and the Swing Into Their Dreams Foundation (SITD) is an organization that aims to do just that.
Established by luxury real estate broker Pamela Parker and financial consultant Lynn Demmons in 2020, Swing Into Their Dreams was born of their desire to aid the enrollment and completion of college for students who may not have the advantages or resources to help them chart their own path to college, but have the drive and desire to go the distance.
Pamela and Lynn each faced their own personal challenges attaining higher education, and through casual conversation after meeting at the Atlanta Black Chambers they realized they shared a common vision of helping others to navigate some of those same obstacles.
Enter the world of golf!
Golf is a sport with an increasingly diverse body of players, and the growth of interest in the sport paired with a variety of additional fun tournament activities make for truly unique fundraising opportunities. Several notable industry sponsors including the PGA, Golf Women Mean Business, and this very publication (AAGD) stepped forward to support SITD through 2020, and they continued their support in 2021 with the inaugural live event that took place Tuesday April 6th at the gorgeous Atlanta National Golf Club in Milton, Georgia. Attendees got to meet Noble Kemp, the 2020 recipient of the SITD scholarship, plus meet and play alongside some surprise sports celebrities!
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After breakfast on the covered outdoor patio, tournament players were treated to a day of sunshine and perfect temperatures as they vied for the trophies, attempted various skill shots with prizes and checked out the amazing assortment of golf memorabilia up for auction courtesy of Golf Tournament Productions. And for entertainment, an assortment of funk, jazz and soul mixed by myself (DJ Audioprism) rolled across the holes closest to the club while the outer greens got to hang with the personalities and crew of radio stations 105.5FM/1430AM The King.
As the day drew to a close, everyone gathered into the club for a savory dinner as the trophies were awarded, friends were made, and we all (safely) celebrated being together for a great purpose. And Swing Into Their Dreams has only just begun – we are already excitedly planning for next year! We invite you to be part of the experience too.
Please visit www.SwingIntoTheirDreams.com to find out more about being a sponsor, player or volunteer, or just to find out more in general!
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