Residents come through again at 3rd annual Golf Equipment Drive

Howie Tiger

On Wednesday, February 24 PebbleCreek held their third annual golf equipment drive to support The First Tee of Phoenix. Donations were accepted at Tuscany Falls in the parking lot just outside the Pro Shop. We never thought we could match last year’s response which was absolutely amazing. But we did! We again completely filled four vans/trucks with golf clubs, bags, balls, clothing and shoes. What a fantastic turnout.

The First Tee staff members (Greg Hall, Tina Barrett and John Lower) had this “wow” look on their faces as we all loaded the vans.

These items will definitely be put to good use for the numerous participants in the program and help support the overall operation.

There are many people to thank for making this drive a success. Thanks to Priscilla Wardlow, HOA website administrator, for posting information on our community website. Thanks to the presidents of the four golf associations, Stevie Chesky, Brenda Sand, Ray Clements and Jerry Treece for communicating to their respective groups.

Thanks to Dave Korba, Dave Vader, Ronnie Decker and both Pro Shop staffs for their assistance in accepting donations prior to the drive. Like last year, we filled one van before we officially started.

Thanks to Jane Richards, Barb McKinney and Steve Straley for helping during the drive. It was a steady pace of donors for four hours straight, so their assistance was truly appreciated.

And finally, thanks to Jason Whitehill for his commitment and support to this project. The Golf Blasts really helped spread the word amongst the golf community.

The First Tee is a national organization whose mission is “To impact the lives of young people by providing programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.” They promote nine core values: Courtesy, Respect, Judgment, Responsibility, Sportsmanship, Confidence, Honesty, Integrity and Perseverance. The Phoenix chapter is one of the largest in the country with 15 sites in the Phoenix Metro area. Close by sites include Palm Valley and Desert Mirage.

For those want to donate but missed this event, you may contact The First Tee at 602-305-7655 for drop-off details.

To learn more about The First Tee, please visit www.thefirstteephoenix.org. It’s a terrific organization and we are always looking for volunteers.