Hit the links Saturday, June 6 at Gold Hills Golf Club 'fore' a most worthy local cause.
The McDonough County Youth Assistance Program (YAP) will sponsor the 14th annual YAP William 'Bill' Kelso Memorial Golf Outing at Gold Hills. The four-person scramble will start at 9 a.m. Registration is $75 per person/$300 foursome, which includes breakfast, lunch, golf and a cart. Register at Gold Hills (10980 E. 900th St., Colchester), call 309-837-2930 or register the morning of at the course.
All proceeds support the McDonough County Youth Assistance Program, which provides assistance for at-risk children who need financial support to participate in school-related extracurricular activities such as sports, music, scouts, special camps and other organized/supervised activities.
Hole and raffle prize sponsorships are also available. Contact Erica Thurman at (309) 333-0447 to sign up as a hole and/or raffle prize sponsor. Items can also be sent to 130 S. Lafayette, Suite 10, Macomb, IL 61455. Donors will be recognized at the event.
The McDonough County Youth Assistance Program was established in 2002 when LEJA Professor and Retired Illinois State Trooper Glenn Daugherty and his family saw a need in the Macomb community. Daugherty's goal was for a 'no red tape' fund to get area children the extras that other programs didn't, or couldn't provide.
'Glenn's son had a friend who didn’t have the means to buy the shoes he needed to participate in sports, and family support just wasn't there. His son's friend was trying to do the best he could to make a good life for himself,' Thurman shared. 'Glenn contacted a few people in the community to see what we could do, and from there, the Youth Assistance Program began.'
The McDonough County Youth Assistance Program is composed of Daugherty; Thurman, who is the supervisor of McDonough County probation; Carrie Depoy, who previously led the Center for Youth and Family Solutions in Macomb; Laura Leezer, senior vice president, Corporate Business Development, Citizens Bank, a Division of Morton Community Bank; and Amber Clark, executive director of Samaritan Well.
'Our mission from the very start has been to help children from low- to moderate-income families pursue their dreams by providing opportunities to participate in activities centered around the arts, technology, sports, music and educational camps,' Thurman added. 'It's our belief these experiences help children build confidence, develop valuable skills and create a stronger foundation for future success.'
Since 2011, the group has assisted hundreds of children throughout McDonough County. Following Bill Kelso's passing and his family's generous gift to YAP, the committee wanted to do something to keep his memory alive and to honor his legacy, which led to the creation of the memorial golf fundraiser in 2012.
