Last Monday, September 17, was a beautiful day. Not just because it was in the high 80’s with clear springlike temperatures, but because it was time for the 4th Annual III Forks Golf Classic benefiting Angel Flight South Central!
Executives, business owners and other community members from across the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex either sponsored the event, or had one of the golf teams that played on the 72 Par Queens course at the Gleneagles Country Club in Plano, Texas. Although prizes were handed out to the winning teams (by the way, the winning team was 20 under par!) at the post-tournament luncheon, it wasn’t about winning the trophies and other prizes that attracted the players to the Classic. It was to help raise funds for one of the community’s hardest-working non-profit organizations that has given so unselfishly in terms of money and time to people with medical and other needs.
Angel Flight South Central flies people with medical, or other needs, to hospitals and other facilities within Texas, surrounding states, and need be, across the country. Their services are free, so they rely completely on volunteer piolts and donations from individuals, foundations. clubs and corporations. It’s slogan says it all: “In the air because se care!” Angel Flight South Central’s goal is to remove the transportation burden from patients so they can get the specialized medical treatment they need that’s not available to them locally. The organization wants the patients to not worry about “how to get there”, and instead focus on getting well.
It was their hard work that caught the eye of Chris Vogeli, III Forks’ executive chef and proprietor, and other community members. They decided to organize and host the Annual III Forks Golf Classic (named after its main sponsor III Forks which is one of Dallas’ premier restaurants known for it’s ultimate Texas French cuisine). The funds from the past Classics not only have allowed Angel Flight South Central to provide a record number of medical flights for patients with all types of medical needs, but its volunteer group of pilots also were able to help during Hurricane Katrina, flying people out of New Orleans and other devestated areas to different towns and medical facilities.
So many organizations like Angel Flight South Central need hosts and sponsors for charitable events that they hold annually like golf tournaments, casino night dinners, bicycle rides, and more. Sure, being involved in such an event gains community exposure through advertisements, PSAs and other marketing efforts promoting the event; and companies can network with prospective clients or partners at the event. But the main purpose of any event of this type is to help raise funds for some non-profit group that is helping out people in its local community, across the state or nationwide. It’s about giving back to the community.
Even I got caught up watching the players who were enjoying their game at last week’s Classic, and for a short time forgot why we were all there…until I saw a small private plane that probably had just taken off from the local airport fly overhead in the cloudless skies. Then I remembered. We were all there to help Angel Flight South Central raise funds so they could continue doing the humanitarian job of helping Mom, or Grandpa, or even a small baby get the medical treatments they needed to live, or flying them out of a dangerous situation.
That’s what it’s all about.
~Deb Decker
The Dallas Business Journal is running a Charity Bass Fishing Tournament on September 28th on Lake Ray Hubbard. The event will be run out of the Bass Pro Shops location in Garland and will be fun to attend even if you don’t compete. Like most outdoorsmen I could personally spend at least half a day just hanging out in Bass Pro Shops so even though I am not planning to compete I will probally stop by and enjoy the event a bit.