Former Packers on Hand to Support Boys and Girls Club
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A long-drive champ helped teams lower their scores at the 14th Celebrity Golf Outing at Horseshoe Bay Golf Club this summer.
But it was a therapist and Green Bay Packers President Mark Murphy who drove home messages that inspired golfers to raise as much as possible at the event benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Door County.
Prior to the fundraiser’s shotgun start, long-ball hitter Victor Bourget put on a show, slamming mostly-accurate tee shots about 390 yards. Then on the course, groups could make donations to play from where Bourget’s ball came to rest.
The more they paid, the closer to the green a foursome would be. And for a $1,000 donation, a team could mark a zero on the hole and then try one shot at a hole-in-one from wherever Bourget’s drive stopped. Kori Coffeen, vice president of development and marketing, said a few players came close to holing out after Bourget’s shots and winning a trip to Palm Beach.
“We heard some yelling, so we thought we were going to get it a couple of times,” Coffeen said.
That presence of the long-drive hitter supplied by Charity Golf International helped boost the outing proceeds for the Boys and Girls Club to $142,780. Coffeen said funds from the event always go to general operations. However, mental health has become one big area of emphasis for those operations in recent years.
In addition to Murphy, former Packers Dave Robinson, Mark Tauscher, Paul Coffman, Harry Sydney, Jarrett Bush, and John Kuhn participated in the event. They were joined by Packers legend Jerry Kramer and Bob Fox, the co-author of Kramer’s book Run to Win; as well as Mark Forsberg from the NFL Alumni Association.
Coffeen said the Boys and Girls Club continues to provide a safe place for children to have fun and socialize in a place where they feel comfortable and they belong, while spending time around adults who are positive influences and role models.
The Door County, Green Bay and Shawano clubs – all three comprise the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Bay and Lakes Region – all benefit from the work of Corrin Applekamp, licensed therapist, substance abuse and mental health counselor.
Applekamp delivered powerful stories of how the Boys and Girls Club has made a meaningful difference for many of the children and provided crucial services for many in need of help. Coffeen said having a licensed therapist and having trained staff to notice issues helps the club and Applekamp provide help to children who may need it immediately. Coffeen noted that it often takes six weeks for young people in need to see a specialist, but staff members can quickly seek out Applekamp if they see signs of a child in crisis or who has expressed suicidal ideations.
Murphy – a longtime Boys and Girls Club supporter, Celebrity Outing participant, Door County homeowner and Maxwelton Braes owner – encouraged the 144 golfers and 66 additional banquet-goers to dig deep in their wallets to support such an outstanding organization, said Larry Brunette, Boys and Girls Club resource development chairman.
Brunette said he appreciated Murphy’s general message emphasizing the importance of supporting organizations that support children, and therefore the families, that live and work in Door County year-round.
The club also paid tribute to Jim Olson, who brought two foursomes to this year’s event and whose car dealership served as the event’s lead sponsor for 13 out of 14 years. Olson sold the dealership this year.
YMCA Benefit from its Own Horseshoe Bay Event
Golf By The Bay this summer at Horseshoe Bay attracted 25 foursomes and raised more than $32,000 as part of Door County YMCA’s annual fundraising campaign. Funds support everything from wellness activities to free meals Monday through Friday for children and teens after and before school or during summer.
