On Friday, July 21, La Porte County Family YMCA held its second annual Celebrity Golf Outing. People and businesses from all over the community gathered at Beechwood Golf Course to enjoy a fun day packed with golf, exciting challenges, and, of course, celebrities, all while raising money for a good cause.
The Celebrity Golf Outing is La Porte County Family YMCA’s second-largest fundraiser of the year for its scholarship fund. All the proceeds from the event go straight back to community members so they can more easily access the YMCA and its programs.
“We really wanted to find a fun way to help raise money for our members. We’re heading into some rough times economically, and many people are trying to figure out how to save money to better provide for their families. The YMCA is always there to help and give back to the community and this event will ensure that we can continue offering our membership and programs at a discounted rate,” said Laurie Halaska, CEO of La Porte County Family YMCA.
Last year’s first Celebrity Golf Outing was successful, but this year’s event was a hole-in-one. The event was completely sold out: 25 teams registered for the event, and there were 28 hole sponsors. There was also double the number of celebrities from last year. Celebrities Mickey Pruitt, Dennis Hopson, Travis Best, Cliff Levingston, Michael Wilson, David Magley, Tim Tyrrell, Doug Plank, Sterling Sharpe, Fred Carter, Bruce Herring, and Neil Smith all came out ready to make a difference.
Halaska was excited to see so many people eager to support the La Porte County Family YMCA and its mission.
“It means a lot to see so many people come out today. Our organization is 113 years old, and almost every family in La Porte has been touched by the YMCA in some capacity. I always hear stories from people about how much the YMCA impacted them when they were younger, and we want to continue that legacy. We want the current generation to come to us in 10 or 20 years and tell us how much the YMCA helped them, so it’s really special that so many people and businesses have come out to make sure we can make that goal happen. We value them just as much as they value us,” said Halaska.
What made this year’s golf outing extra special was that Val Levingston, owner of Legends Leaving Legacies Foundation, took her mission of finding celebrities for the event a bit further and invited several local business owners who are just getting their start to the outing so not only would the event have an even greater community feel, but to also help the business owners get some much-deserved recognition.
“If you have the knowledge and the capability you have to share it with the community. It’s sad if you know you can help someone but you choose not to. Events like this where organizations are trying to help their community are what our foundation is all about. This is what we do, and we enjoy doing it. It’s just awesome being here today, and we’re happy to be a part of it,” said Levingston.
Lastly, the event was just a great way for everyone to relax and have some fun together. There were all kinds of activities for people to take part in including two hole-in-one challenges to win either a boat or a zero-turn lawnmower. Golfers could also put their skills to the test in a putting contest for a chance to win $5,000. Not to mention breakfast, lunch, and dinner were all provided. Breakfast featured an excellent Bloody Mary bar that people couldn’t get enough of. Lunch was sponsored by La Porte’s local Buffalo Wild Wings and a delicious steak dinner was provided by T-Bones Pier Eleven and I Street Meats.
There wasn’t a single spot on the golf course where laughter couldn’t be heard and smiles couldn’t be seen. People just couldn’t get enough.
“It’s just a fun event. The golfers come out and get to enjoy some friendly competition. We try to have all kinds of vendors set up around the golf holes with different activities and challenges for the golfers to take part in. Celebrities are always a hoot—they engage with the golfers and have so much fun themselves. It’s just a festive environment different from a regular golf outing,” said Halaska.
The second annual Celebrity Golf Outing ultimately couldn’t have been a bigger hit. Kyle Rosenbaum, former La Porte County Family YMCA board member who was integral in developing the idea for the Celebrity Golf Outing last year, was moved by how much more successful the event was and couldn’t be prouder.
“Having people come up to me and tell me how much they like the event and ask if we’re going to hold it again next year is what really makes this special and worthwhile. I’ve loved being a part of this and I’m proud of all the people who made this year’s event even better than last year’s,” said Rosenbaum.
Next year’s outing is sure to flourish even more. The YMCA team is already looking for ways to make the event more enjoyable and impactful for the community in the future.
“We really just want to continue to grow this event. We’re already making a list of all the things we want to add and improve at next year’s outing. We want to add more games, more vendors, more celebrities—it’s just going to keep getting better,” said Halaska.
Of course, this unforgettable outing wouldn’t have been possible without the support and passion of the community. Halaska would like to give another big thanks to everyone for helping La Porte County Family YMCA make its dream of a healthier La Porte County a reality.
“My team has been phenomenal—they’ve all been running around and working so hard to put this on. I’m also thankful for Kyle and everything he did to initiate this last year. He was truly the catalyst of all of this and it wouldn’t be possible without him. We’re also grateful for Val and her efforts to get all these wonderful celebrities out here. It’s definitely been a team effort,” said Halaska.
To learn more about La Porte County YMCA and everything it does for the community, visit https://lpymca.org/.