by Beverly Ryan
More than 40 corporate, organizational, and individual donors and sponsors, along with nearly 75 participants and touring Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) members, joined forces for a weekend of lively competition, philanthropy, and fun at the ASHFoundation's popular Golf Benefit Classic, held at ChampionsGate Golf Resort near Orlando, Florida, Jan. 19-20.
The tournament, returning for its 11th year, raised more than $15,000. Funds from the tournament support the growth of the professions and the advancement of scientific knowledge in communication sciences and disorders through the ASHFoundation’s student scholarships, research grants, and clinical achievement programs.
The weekend opened with a pairings dinner party and silent and live auction of hand-crafted artwork, exquisite jewelry, autographed sports memorabilia, and trips. Robert Winter, a performance enhancement psychologist and motivational speaker, offered hints for improving one’s golf game and spoke about the power of positive thinking and keeping a clear focus. Winter cautioned the audience that the biggest performance inhibitor is self-doubt, and provided proven strategies for overcoming negative thoughts.
Each foursome played with an LPGA professional, a significant feature that sets this tournament apart from other similar events. LPGA pros at this year’s benefit included Suzy Whaley, Jean Bartholomew, Beth Bader, Leta Lindley, Becky Lucidi, Jenna Daniels, Jenny Gleason, and Emily Bastel, as well as rookies Liz Janangelo and Jeanie Cho.
Members of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association chapters at Florida State University and the University of Central Florida joined other volunteers in assisting with competitions such as the Par 3 Poker, Guess the Tees, and hole-in-one.
The first-place winners in the Stars Flight were Bob Antonucci, Jack Dilworth, Michael Keeton, and R.C. Keeton, who played with pro Leta Lindley. First-place winners in the Champions Flight were Terry Bernier, Chuck Cochran, and Larry Walker, playing with pro Beth Bader.
The closest-to-the-pin winners were Rosemary LeBlanc and Matt Kane; longest drive winners were Debrah Brown, Chuck Cochran, Michael Keeton, and Greg Strang; longest putt winner was Ron Goldman.
The ASHFoundation thanks the more than 40 corporate, organizational, and individual sponsors and donors whose generosity made the Golf Benefit possible, including ASHA (Platinum Sponsor); Hearing HealthCare News, The Psychological Corporation, and SunTrust/Trusco Capital Management (Gold Sponsors); and Delmar Cengage Learning, The Jack Company, Kilpatrick Stockton, LLP,
LinguiSystems, Inc., Marsh Affinity Group Services, Multi-Media Solutions, Pearson/AGS Publishing, and The Walker Group/At Site Reality (Silver Sponsors). A full listing of sponsors appears online.
Beverly Ryan, ASHFoundation annual fund manager, can be reached a bryan@asha.org.