The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

Every Dollar Feeds Kids (EDFK) received a big boost from a benefit golf tournament held at Glaze Meadow Golf Course at Black Butte Ranch (BBR) last Thursday, September 21.

The event was held for the first time in response to the decision by the Outreach Committee of Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration to provide a separate source of funding for the charity. Previously, funding has been provided through proceeds from the church's annual Art Show and Country Fair. (See related story page 5).

EDFK was founded in 1999 by a church in San Rafael, California to provide food and assistance to impoverished children in the vicinity of Cuernavaca, Mexico. EDFK works cooperatively with VAMOS!, an independent service organization founded in 1986 by Bill and Patty Coleman and Ike Patch. VAMOS! currently supports 82 separate educational, health and nutrition projects in Mexico. EDFK provides the food for many of the feeding programs within the VAMOS! Network.

In the five years since Sisters Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration began to support the program, EDFK partners have provided more than 500,000 meals to needy children through VAMOS! projects. Through an anonymous donor, a gift of $100,000 was made in 2004 to VAMOS! to enable the purchase of Casa Tatic, the multi-purpose building in downtown Cuernavaca serving street children and indigent seniors in the area.

Thursday's event was a nine-hole, best-ball tournament which is common for events of this nature. However, in a different twist, each player was allowed to use only two golf clubs of his or her choice. Accomplished golfers and those who had never played a round of golf in their life participated, and a good time was had by all. The tournament drew people from outside the immediate Sisters and Black Butte Ranch areas, attracting players from Portland, Bend and Redmond, as well.

Bob Reed, the event's chairman, said, "The goal was to have 40 people show up for the tournament, but we only had 27." Each player paid $100 to play in the tournament, which included an awards banquet that was held at the church after the event. An additional 60 people paid $25 a plate to attend the awards banquet. Reed commented that the goal was to raise $4,000 for EDFK, "which will provide at least 9,000 meals for the shanty town children."

Reed was enthusiastic and said, "It looks like we have made it." Between the golf tournament and the banquet, Reed was certain the goal would be met. He continued, "There is no overhead at EDFK, so every dollar raised goes directly to the kids. Everyone involved is a volunteer. Even the board members are volunteers, so everything goes to the kids." This, of course, makes this charity an ideal model.

Dixie Fairfield discussed EDFK commenting that the organization provides meals, vitamins and school supplies for children in Mexico and went on to say, "They've learned that children can't learn if they don't have enough food for their brains." Fairfield played in this nine hole tournament and had never picked up a golf club before the start of the tournament. She had fun and even sunk a birdie putt.

Although it was fun for Fairfield, she is not a convert to golf. She said, "I am not going to take up golf unless I give up something else. I just don't have the time." But she continued, "It was really fun to see the views at the Ranch from the golf course side, as I have only seen it from homes and the streets, and it is really great from the golf course."

The prizes were all generously donated. BBR gave four rounds of golf with carts and Jen's Garden provided a dinner for four. Gift certificates were donated by various sources, including ProGolf of Bend.

First place low net winners were Chris and Marcia Wood from Eagle Crest and Tom and Mary Hadley from Portland. Their prize was four rounds of golf with carts from BBR.

The team of Dixie and Roger Fairfield of Sisters and Esther and Howard den Hartog of Tollgate were at the bottom of the pack. They had never played golf before but had a great time. They received dinner for four at Jen's Garden.

Tom Hadley received the longest drive for men award; Mimi Miller took women's longest drive honors.