PEACH WEEKENDER | AROUND TOWN

Toledo gets into the swing of charity

7/13/2017
BY BARBARA HENDEL
BLADE SOCIETY EDITOR
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    Mark Smith, left, and Dave McClafferty ham it up at the Savage Foundation Golf Classic.

    DENNY DARBY

    • The Marathon Classic at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania starts next week. Several Pro-Am events lead up to the main event, which begins July 20.

    It remains the biggest charitable golf event in the Toledo area since its inception in 1984 as the Jamie Farr Toledo Classic and will be nearing, if not surpassing, $10 million raised. The Ladies Professional Golf Association tournament, presented by Owens Corning and Owens-Illinois, is a fun time for all, from the pro golfers, to the volunteers and staff, to the spectators.

    One need not be a golf aficionado to enjoy the Marathon Classic. In addition to great golf, hobnobbing is at a premium, including at the “Friday at Club 14” business networking party.

    If you go to the Marathon Classic, remember to wear sunscreen and comfortable shoes with no golf spikes, and leave pets, weapons, coolers, bikes, skateboards, and food at home. Cell phones must be turned off, and cameras are not allowed. And please be quiet when a golfer is playing.

    Many one-day golf events get in on the action for charity’s sake.

    The 14th annual Savage Foundation Golf Classic presented by Ohio National financial services was at Stone Oak Country Club. Since the Savage Foundation started 14 years ago, it has raised more than $1 million for local charities. This year $89,000 was raised.

    Checks were presented to Veterans Matter ($15,000); Toledo Streets Newspaper ($10,000); Bowling Green Pregnancy Center ($10,000); the Daughter Project ($10,000), and the Old Newsboys Goodfellow Association ($5,000). The remaining $39,000 will be distributed to charities over the next year.

    “The Savage team works with volunteers and sponsors to make the event successful,” said J.R. Toland, president of Savage & Associates.

    Among the major sponsors were AIG Financial Distributors and the John F. and Kate Savage Foundation.

    Bravo to Kelly Savage, tournament director, and her crew for a fun day for the 128 golfers. A scramble-format style play was followed by lunch, golf prizes, and raffle prizes.

    The winning team with a score of 58 was the John F. and Kate Savage Foundation team: John Savage, Kevin Savage, Ed Falter, and Kevin Farrell. Each player received $120 in club shop credit at Stone Oak.

    Lourdes University’s 18th annual Hit the Links golf outing presented by MT Business Technologies Inc. raised $18,416 for student scholarships. Since its inception the event has raised almost $1 million.

    The 150 golfers followed a scramble format at Bedford Hills Golf Club in Temperance. The day included a continental breakfast, 18 holes of golf played over the Buckeye, Wolverine, and Irish nine-hole courses, and lunch in the pavilion with tales of play and prizes.

    There were nine hole-in-one prizes that included a $10,000 check. Alas, no one hit the jackpot. However, prizes were presented for the longest drive and putt, and closest to the pin, and Brooke Darah Payzant received a prize for nearly everything.

    Winning teams were John Owczarzak’s team, which along with him was made up of: Todd Thomas, Joel Visser, and Chris Barnhardt; Gayle Lampkowski’s team, which along with her, was made up of: Jo-Ellen Apgar, Ann Meier and Anne Marie Blank; and the Hylant team: Bubba Berenzweig, Nick Fratalonie, Alison Brinkman and Blake Tucker.

    Among the oodles of sponsors were ProMedica, Carrier Corp., GEM Energy, Hylant, Mainstreet Ventures Inc., Vin Devers Autohaus of Sylvania, Midland Title and Escrow Ltd., The Blade, and Tolson Enterprises.

    Contact Barbara Hendel at bhendel@theblade.com or 419-724-6124.