The Santa Maria Boys and Girls Club is awesome.
The same can be said of the many fundraising events that support the club’s varied programs.
Their most recent fundraiser, the 13th annual Ag for Youth Golf Tournament, held on Monday, July 30, at the Santa Maria Country Club, was no exception.
The tournament attracted 140 farmers and friends for a great day of lunch and golf, followed by an awards presentation and build-your-own taco buffet.
Event coordinator Jan Zilli was ecstatic.
“We just about maxed out for this tournament,” she told me. “We have 35 teams of four.”
After a tri-tip sandwich lunch, the participants took command of their golf carts and zoomed off for several hours on the gorgeous grounds.
Hobnobbing was pressed into service during registration.
“Hey, girlfriend,” Zilli said, “we need someone to pass out shirts.”
So pass out the complimentary sports shirts I did. A girl gets to know her XLs, XXLs and XXXLs pretty fast.
In the process, I chatted with Jim Spallino, as well as the father-and-son teams of Dave and Matt Richardson and Ken and Austin Kahn.
Two KCOY alums showed up: former weatherman, the much-missed Jim Byrne, and Laurie Pipan, former sales promotions director. Pipan, now director of communication for Greka, is a brand new Boys and Girls Club board member.
Pipan’s brother and sister-in-law, county supervisor Steve and Marian Lavagnino, also came for golf and camaraderie, as did Peggy Blough.
Lots of people put in lots of hours to make the golf tournament happen. Board members Kathryn Bernard, Donna France, and Linda Cordero were among those who bustled about.
At 5-ish, the golfers began to trickle into the club’s bar area for resuscitation and conversation.
“You can tell this is a tight-knit group,” board member Tom Martinez told me.
Yes, you could. These guys had a lot to say to each other before trundling into the dining room for prize announcements and food. This wasn’t quite the Olympics, but outstanding golfers were delighted to be given prizes for feats only other golfers might appreciate, like the longest drive, the straightest drive, and the closest placement to the pin on selected holes.
Tim Murphy emceed the awards program, during which bottles of Cambria Winery Pinot Noir were presented to the triumphant.
Kathryn Bernard, a retired school administrator, was adamant about the benefits the Boys and Girls Club brings to the community: “The club provides a safe place for kids summers and after school,” she said. “Kids learn leadership skills, sports skills, and arts and crafts, and they get help with their homework.
“The graduation rate of kids who go to the Boys and Girls Club is 90 percent,” Bernard continued.
This is an impressive statistic.
Raffle tickets were sold for the highly coveted grand prize: a Pebble Beach package, including golf for four and two rooms for two nights. Just about everyone held their breath when the winning ticket was announced.
Wouldn’t you know it? The prize went to the father of a Boys and Girls Club staffer, Allison Bailey, director of development.
We all saw the ticket drawing—it was random! Needless to say, the winner’s daughter will spend the next two weeks or so fielding the inevitable ribbing that goes with this kind of win.
If you want to hobnob with Helen, you can contact her at helenthom232@yahoo.com.
This article appears in Aug 9-16, 2012.
