LAURINBURG — Hundreds of area hospice supporters gathered at Scotch Meadows Country Club on the weekend of May 1 for Scotland Regional Hospice’s annual charity golf tournament, which raised over $130,000 for end-of-life care.
A total of 170 golfers participated in the two-day event. This year’s proceeds pushed the 33-year total of the event to just over $4 million.
Employees of tournament sponsor Golf Pride Grips and over 60 volunteers throughout the community made the tournament possible by participating in the planning process, recruitment of sponsors, silent auction contribution requests from vendors, enlisting golfers, and helping with the daily activities at the event.
The biggest part of the fundraising total came from area businesses and individuals who sponsored the tournament.
“We set a goal at our first golf tournament committee meeting this year to try to collect $80,000 in sponsorships,” said Deon Cranford, Scotland Regional Hospice’s director of public relations. “It looked like we were going to be a little short in the final days leading up the tournament, but our amazing team of volunteers provided one last push that helped us receive over $10,000 in sponsorship commitments in the final week which lifted us above our goal.”
This year’s auction featured over 300 items including beach getaways, a whitewater rafting trip, a stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, tickets to a NASCAR race, tickets to multiple college football games, autographed balls and other sports memorabilia, handmade furniture, artwork, golf equipment and more.
As a part of the festivities, longtime hospice volunteer Colin McArthur received the governor’s award for volunteerism. The award was presented by Laurinburg – Scotland County Area Chamber of Commerce President Chris English at the tournament’s sponsor night ceremony. McArthur was one of two recipients of the award this year in Scotland County.
“Not only did (Colin) get the volunteer award for the county, but every year, there are 20-25 volunteer chosen from the state to receive the governor’s medallion for volunteer service,” English said. “(Colin) was one of those volunteers.”
On May 6, McArthur travelled to Raleigh to receive the medallion from Gov. Roy Cooper.
Following McArthur’s award announcement, Scotland Regional Hospice advisory board chairman Dr. Bill Loftus presented a resolution from District 25 of the North Carolina General Assembly to Golf Pride Grips President James Ledford, thanking the corporation for their 33 years of support to Scotland Regional Hospice.
“I first attended this event in 2013 and what impressed me was the numbers,” Ledford said “How many years that this has been going on and what we had done over that time is what hit me at first. Now it’s my seventh time here and I’ve learned so much more about the relationships and the community, it’s truly something special. Every year, I have learned something more about hospice and the impact it has and I am truly grateful to be a part of this.”
The evening continued with an inside look at hospice care provided by guest speaker and Scotland Regional Hospice Medical Director Dr. Valeriana Esteves-Jute.
“People who work at hospice, it’s not a job (for us), it’s a mission,” Esteves-Jute said. “We are a family. We know how to care for our patients, because we’ve all been there ourselves.”
“Twenty years ago, I was the one receiving that phone call,” she continued. “Mom has five weeks to live. I was in shock. We use those moments to help others. Their families become our family. Love is what gets us through it. That love is what makes me continue. That love comes out each time I see someone with the same look on their face that I had.”
The event concluded with the “Lawson’s Gift” raffle drawing. Each year, Bob’s Jewel Shop donates a piece of jewelry to the tournament to be raffled off in memory of Lawson McCabe. This year’s contribution, a hand-crafted pearl pendant, went to longtime Scotland Regional Hospice supporter Mary Kay Potts.
“It just keeps happening,” said Bill Hill, who helped start the event in 1986. “Somehow, it just always comes together.”
