By Bonnie Culverhouse
Team openings are still available for b1 Bank and UCAP’s 12th annual golf tournament this upcoming weekend (May 20 and 21) at Pine Hills Country Club in Minden, with a dinner and auction Friday night beginning with happy hour at 5:30 p.m.
John Earnhardt said the tournament is a two-man scramble with payouts.
“Right now, we have about 40 teams,” Earnhardt said last Friday. “Normally, we have more. A lot of people wait until the last week to sign up.”
They take up to 54, however, they can accept 60 teams by playing A and B on certain holes.
There is no limit to sponsorships for the tournament, according to b1 Bank’s Micah Hanson.
“We can take all the sponsorships we can get,” Hanson said.
Gold Sponsor gets two teams in the tournament. It is $1,000.
For $500, a Silver Sponsor gets one team. A hole sponsorship, which includes a sign, is $150, and a non-sponsor entry is $300 per team.
Those sponsorships also include food and beverages for two days and the dinner, raffle, silent and live auction Friday.
Friday night dinner and lunches each day are catered by Hugh Wood Specialty Meats & Catering.
As title sponsor, b1 Bank has been involved for the duration of the UCAP tournament.
“First it was sponsored by Richland Bank, but we were bought out, so legacy … it’s b1 Bank since the beginning,” Hanson said.
“I became involved in it about two or three years in,” he continued. “Charity is always near and dear to my heart. We want to give back and support the community as a community bank. It’s part of what we do.”
Hanson said by partnering with the Pickleball Club, they expect a larger-than-ever donation this year.
“Last year we raised about $20,000, and we hope to double that this year,” he said. “It’s a good charity. All that money stays here.”
In 2022 UCAP was able to pay $55,018 in utility assistance, $2,500 in rent and $3,756 in emergency lodging.
“We helped 463 families –1,024 individuals – with food and 1,058 adults and children with clothing and household goods,” Jones said. “Our overhead for the year was $8,845 – $6,136 for utilities and insurance. We were fortunate to have funds donated for a security system.”
In January, UCAP was able to pay $$4,868 in utility assistance and $300 in rent.
“We helped 34 families (82 individuals) with food and 84 adults and children with clothing and household goods. Our overhead for the month was $719,” UCAP director Charlotte Jones said.
All fundraiser proceeds go to assist with utilities, rent, emergency lodging and food.
UCAP workers are all volunteers, however, Jones said the pandemic affected some of them. There are now 13, many of whom work one half day a week.
Fundraisers, the heartbeat of the UCAP funding have suffered, as well.
