OCEAN CITY- The Ocean City Elks Golf Association, in partnership with Eagle’s Landing, raised over $9,000 at its recent 9th Annual Coats for Kids fundraiser tournament for children in need throughout the area.
The Ocean City Elks Lodge 2645 each year holds a golf tournament at Eagle’s Landing to raise funds used to purchase coats for children in area schools. In anticipation of the event held in December, schools in Worcester and the surrounding counties put together a wish list for students who are in need of winter apparel.
This year, the 9th Annual Coats for Kids Golf Tournament at Eagle’s Landing raised $9,400 to go toward purchasing winter coats for children in need in the community. Since the inception of the tournament in 2007, the Ocean City Elks Lodge 2645 has raised nearly $50,000 for the purchase of winter coats, according to Coats for Kids Golf Tournament chairman Bill Thompson.
“I have three sales receipts here over four feet long,” said Thompson, referring to the coats the Elks were able to purchase following the tournament. “It was a good affair to attend. This year was a pretty good turnout, mainly because the members are just happy to do it. They see what the tournament does for the community and they have a lot of pride in what we do.”
Thompson praised the partnership with Eagle’s Landing and the hard work the municipal course’s staff puts into the event.
“Eagle’s Landing is one of the best courses around Ocean City,” he said. “They sure do make it easy for us. They take all the hard work out of it, and what more could you ask when you have a nice course to play and decent people on the staff that help you along. It is the perfect combination.”
For Eagle’s Landing’s part, PGA Golf Professional Bob Croll said the course is donated each year for the event as a thank-you to the Elks and all they do in the community.
“I like to think we have a great partnership with the Ocean City Elks Lodge, not just a business-customer relationship,” he said. “I was very pleased that they took the opportunity to use the free date to raise money and help people in our community, but than again, that’s what the Elks do. They have held the event every year since and Eagle’s Landing has continued to contribute by offering the Coats for Kids Tournament complimentary green fees and carts.”