The Gary D. Holmes "I Believe" Memorial Scholarship Inaugural Golf Tournament will be held on Saturday, June 13, at Thunder Bayou in Blytheville.
Proceeds from the tournament will go to the Gary D. Holmes Memorial Foundation. The scholarship will help deserving young students in their needs of educational assistance.
Tournament board member Bo Fleming says that he and fellow board member Bruce Hay came up with the idea back in January, shortly after Holmes' passing.
"I was talking to Bruce (Hay) at the country club in January and I told him the we needed to have a golf tournament for the foundation. He said he was thinking the same thing. So that day we went over and put a deposit down and had the date set. It was as simple as that."
Fleming has been pleased with the response from the public so far.
"The response we've gotten from people has blown me away," said Fleming. "We are hoping to raise $11,000, and we're on our way to doing that. We may have sold ourselves short when we were putting this together. Even people who don't even play golf are coming up to us and asking what they can do. That's all because of who Gary (Holmes) was. He touched so many lives and you can tell with the response people have shown us. Everything we've asked of people has happened. Nobody has closed a door in our face."
Entry fee into the tournament is $50 per player or $200 for a four-person team with a $20 super ticket available. All participants buying the super ticket will be eligible for the prizes in various contests such as, "Closest to Pin," "Hole in One," and "Most Accurate Drive." Tournament board members are currently selling raffle tickets, one for $5 and three for $10. Prizes include a Razorback Grill from Blytheville Sheet Metal and a set of Calloway golf clubs valued at $1,500.
Corporate hole sponsorships of $300, $200 and $100 are available as well.
"It's really starting to come together," said tournament director Kevin Snow. "So many people have gotten behind this with their time and money. It's for a great cause."
For more information, contact Fleming at 278-5414, Hay at 623-1559, Steve Southard at 623-2605 or Linda Holmes at 623-4291.