Attorneys, judges and golf enthusiasts are coming together for a good cause. The public is invited to join Lee County Bar Association members for 18 holes plus contests, prizes, breakfast, lunch, refreshments and live and silent auctions at the annual Lee County Bar Association Foundation Charity Golf Tournament. The funds raised at the event on Saturday, May 4 at The Forest Country Club’s famed Bear Course will benefit several Southwest Florida charities that receive aid from the foundation.
“You get to hit the links and help the community at the same time,” said attorney Ken Jones, co-chair of the event. “There’s no better way to spend a Saturday.”
Last year’s tournament raised $22,000, and foundation proceeds benefited more than a dozen local organizations dedicated to aiding children, like the Guardian ad Litem Foundation, feeding the hungry, like the Harry Chapin Food Bank, healing the sick, like Partners for Breast Cancer, and more.
Check-in gets underway at 7 a.m., and the four-player scramble begins at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start. Putting, long drive and closest-to-the-pin contests will take place within the round, as will several other opportunities to win prizes.
A light breakfast and coffee will precede tee time, with players welcome to visit attorney Brian Cheffer’s Build Your Own Bloody Mary table or the CopyLady’s famous mimosa stand. A catered luncheon in The Forest’s new clubhouse will follow the golf, along with the auctions. A trip to Key West, golf vacations, autographed sports memorabilia and more were among the items up for bid in last year’s auctions.
“It’s so much fun, and it makes so much of a difference for people right here in our community,” attorney and event co-chair Shannon Puopolo said. “A lot of the giving the foundation was able to do last year, and much of what we’ll give out this year, is a direct result of the money that we raise at the golf tournament.”
Sponsorships are available, and auction items are still being accepted. Player registration ends on April 26, with early bird rates of $125 per player and $450 per foursome valid through April 5. After that date, the costs are $150 per player and $550 per foursome.
“This is just one more way the bar and the bar foundation are working to create positive change in Lee County,” said Lisa Poulin, the bar’s executive director. “We encourage everyone to come out, have fun, and join our attorneys and judges in making a real impact.”
Register to play at leebar.org/golf. Call Poulin at 239-334-0047 or email her at lpoulin@leebar.org to learn about sponsorships, auction donations and other ways to support the foundation.