Community Living Huntsville (CLH) is hitting the greens once again, this time as a fundraiser.
Golf Fore Inclusion is scheduled for Sept. 7 at Deerhurst Lakeside Golf Course. According to CLH’s Jennifer Jerrett, it’s a nine-hole golf tournament ending in a BBQ lunch, with an emphasis on being accessible to people of any ability.
“Our golf tournament really prides itself in being open to all abilities. So if you’ve never golfed before, this is the golf tournament to go in,” says Jerrett. “We had one young lady last year who was blind. She had somebody go around with her and put her in the direction of where the hole was, lined up her club, and she did amazing.”
New this year is a $10,000 prize for the first hole-in-one at a special course, with other prizes awarded for the longest drive, closest to the line, and other challenges.
Jerrett says the event started last year to raise awareness for people with disabilities in the community. This year, it’s raising money for CLH’s Transitional Housing Initiative.
“We are in a housing crisis, which everyone knows,” says Jerrett. “But what a lot of people don’t know is that people with disabilities tend to be marginalized in this area, and quite often are the last ones picked for housing.” She explains the program places people with disabilities in a transitional house and teaches them employment and life skills to help them find a place of their own.
Early bird tickets are on sale at CLH’s website for $90 until July 31, and $100 after.
“We were so overwhelmed by how quickly the tournament sold out last year, within a couple of weeks, that we’ve decided to put it on again,” says Jerrett.