Howie Tiger
On Wednesday, March 21, PebbleCreek held their its 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. Each year we think it will be difficult to match the prior year’s response. Last year we filled two 17-foot U-Haul trucks. This year we rented a 26-foot U-Haul truck and filled it twice! So many golf clubs, bags, balls, clothing and shoes. What an unbelievable turn out.
From Kevin Terry, Executive Director of The First Tee of Phoenix, “We can’t tell you how grateful our chapter is for the donation…thank you all for the support of our chapter…unbelievable how many donations have come through from the members at PebbleCreek, not only this year but for past years as well.”
Our PebbleCreek residents are amazing. Over 300 households made donations. These donated items will definitely be put to good use for the numerous participants in the program and help support the overall operation. This year we had a big push for golf balls. Used ones can be converted to cash and new ones can be used by the kids. We collected over 30,000 golf balls (and still counting). The money raised from the sale of these balls will help fund The First Tee college scholarship program.
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 and Pebble News. Thanks to the presidents of several golf associations: Marilyn Reynolds, Monte Page, Monika Charlesworth and Bud Held 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.
Special thanks to Jane Richards, Tina Barrett, Mike Mealer, Jim Meier, Ron Hansen, John Low, Jack Schafer and TFT staffer Greg Hall 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 17 sites in the Phoenix Metro area. Close-by sites include Wigwam and Desert Mirage.
For those who 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.