WCC Tournament proceeds mean college educations
By Other
Published in News on July 30, 2004 2:00 PM
Record-breaking proceeds from this year's Wayne Community College Benefit Golf Tournament will help send more than 100 students to school this fall.
The 12th annual tournament, held last month at Lane Tree Golf Course in Goldsboro, raised $50,000 from player fees, 50/50 ticket sales, a live and a silent auction, and sponsorships, the most in the event's history.
That brings the total the tournament has raised in its 12 years to $416,000. The money goes to the Foundation of Wayne Community College for distribution as scholarships to individual students.
Tournament co-chairman Geoff Kokiko said the donors and participants came through again to show their support of the college's work.
"The community's generosity, from those who donated items for the auction and the player goodie bags to those who bought 50/50 drawing tickets to those who came out for the event, is overwhelming," Kokiko said.
"We can count on the business community for sponsorships. They know that what they give to Wayne Community College will come back to them in well-trained employees and improved quality of life for Wayne County," said tournament co-chair Chris Cox.
Twenty-one businesses, organizations and individuals each gave $1,000 to be corporate sponsors. They were:
Allen Grading Co., BB&T, BellSouth, Jack Best with Best Commercial Development, College Bookstores of America, Cox Construction & Properties, Deacon Jones Lincoln Mercury Kia, D.S. Simmons, First Citizens Bank, Frema Motors, Goldsboro News-Argus, Grand Rental Station, The McMillen Group, Mission Foods, Park Designs, Partin & Hobbs Architects, Pittard Perry Crone Inc., Progress Energy, Wachovia Bank, Wayne Realty & Insurance Co. Inc., and Wooten Oil Company.
Another 47 businesses signed on as gold and blue sponsors.
Outback Steakhouse was the tournament's dinner sponsor and Scott Motor Co. was a hole-in-one sponsor, both for the second year. Also for the second year, Fairway Outdoor Advertising provided billboards promoting the tournament.
The event was founded in 1993 by Wooten Oil Co. as a way to contribute to a cause that would use all the money locally. Dillon Wooten is still instrumental in the tournament and Wooten Oil/Kwik Mart remains a corporate sponsor.
New this year was a multi-media presentation by Brig. Gen. Eric Rosborg, commander of the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, during the pre-tournament dinner.
"Members of his staff even brought in and set up audio-visual equipment," said Foundation Executive Director Jack Kannan. "It was a great job all around and exactly the quality and thoroughness we have come to expect from the base."
It was a team of community and college volunteers that insured a great tournament, Kannan said. "We really appreciate everyone's work. You made this one the most successful one yet. It just keeps getting better," he said.
More than 50 volunteers worked the two days of the tournament. Tara Humphries, the college's public information officer, recruited and coordinated the event volunteers.
"I am particularly pleased with all the students who all came out to help: four student groups -- the Phi Theta Kappa honor society, the Criminal Justice Club, the Minority Male Mentoring Group, and the Student Government Association -- and a number of scholarship recipients," she said.
Kannan said participants in the tournament appreciated the fact that students who benefited from their generosity were willing to work to give back a little.
"Everywhere they turn, there are students thanking them for playing and thanking them for giving," he said.
College President Edward H. Wilson, a perennial tournament participant, said he had also heard a lot of positive comments about the event.
"One I hear a lot is that we have the most user-friendly tournament." he said.
Wilson also noted that Wayne's tournament brings in more money than any other golf tournament in the state's community college system.
The 13th annual tournament has been scheduled for June 14 and 15, 2005 at Lane Tree Golf Course.