Outlaw Open fills coffers for sports

The Green brothers — David, Christian and Jonathan along with Chuck Gibson — marched to victory in the Outlaw Open at Aspen Lakes Golf Course on Friday, June 16, but the real winners were young Sisters athletes in next years’ sports programs.

The event, started 10 years ago to help fund the Sisters Outlaws football team, has grown into a major event that has also helped other sports programs in Sisters schools that struggle with chronic budget shortages.

This year, the event raised about $30,000, according to Grant Cyrus of Aspen Lakes. Matt Cyrus said that over 10 years the event has netted approximately $150,000.

Funds from the tournament have paid for equipment and uniforms for all Sisters football programs — including sixth grade and middle school teams. Last year, the tournament paid for pads for the sixth grade gridiron gladiators.

Funds come partly from entry fees for the four-person scramble teams. There were 128 golfers in the tournament this year — and a waiting list.

Aspen Lakes donates the use of the course for the day.

“We have hole sponsors and our regular sponsors who donate cash (or services),” Grant Cyrus noted.

The lion’s share of the money raised comes from a silent and an oral auction. Cyrus said that many sponsors have contributed year after year. He noted that one item that is always popular is $4,000 in orthodontic work donated by Dr. Ted Lynch. That went for $2,900 this year, Cyrus said.

Other auction items included trips, golf clubs, a Dan Fouts autographed ball and jersey and more.

Cyrus credits the participation of the sponsors for the continued success of the event as a fund-raiser.

He said the organizing committee strives to make the afternoon and evening fun for all participants.

“We’ve just grown the event year after year and tried to make it a nice social event for everybody,” he said.

Brad Tisdel and Americana Project musicians Monica Offield and Travis Ehrenstrom performed during the evening. Tisdel composed an impromptu paean to the Green brothers.

“Brad Tisdel did a song about the Green brothers,” Cyrus said. “It was really funny.”

No one was surprised that the Greens and Gibson ran away with the tournament, scoring an 18-under-par 54 in the scramble format. The focus, however, remained on the Sisters school programs.

Football players and members of the girls basketball team helped with event staging and lacrosse team members did tent set-up and take-down.

While the football team continues to be the main beneficiary of the fund-raiser, the other sports programs have received funds as well.

Cyrus said Aspen Lakes plans to host the event again next year, with the auction likely to be held indoors in the course’s new clubhouse.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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