DAVIDSON COUNTY – With less than two weeks before the Howard Hayes Fore the Families Golf Tournament, Terri Nelson issued a plea last week for the community’s help with her nonprofit’s annual fundraiser.

“We just need support,” said Nelson, executive director of the Fairgrove Family Resource Center. “Our goal is to serve families and help them through crisis situations. We are in a stage where this tournament is a crisis situation. We really need to have the dedication of the community to support us.

“Last month was the second highest we have ever had in serving through our food pantry,” Nelson added. “It was a near record last month. The needs are up and of course donations are down, which makes it more critical that our fundraisers are successful.”

The golf tournament is scheduled for Aug. 4, with registration ending July 30. The tournament is named after Hayes, a former teacher and football coach in Davidson County.

“(Hayes) is one of the most dedicated board members we have ever had and he loves golf,” Nelson said. “People recognize the name Howard Hayes and they just want to participate in something Howard Hayes is a part of.”

Nelson is asking for hole sponsors and for participants to sign up in teams of four. All proceeds will benefit the Fairgrove Family Resource Center.

“We have different levels of sponsorship,” Nelson said. “If a business would like to be a gold sponsor, that’s $500 and they get a four player team. A silver sponsor is $250 and a bronze sponsor is $100.

So far, registration is down, Nelson said, adding that eight teams have registered as of Wednesday. Cash prizes will be awarded if the tournament gets 18 teams registered. Fairgrove Family Resource Center hopes to have 25 teams.

“We just want to raise a lot of money,” said Janie Sink, a Fairgrove Family Resource Center board member. “Every bit of the money we make goes right back into the community. With the sinking economy and as it continues to get more worse, it seems like our food pantries are getting more and more depleted.”

dignasiak@hpe.com | 888-3657