MOSES LAKE — Golfers will tell you it’s a lot easier to read the newspaper than it is to read a putt, but the Columbia Basin Herald is providing a format to do both at the Newspapers in Education Golf Tournament June 16 at the Moses Lake Golf Club.

The NIE program is a national program aimed at keeping students engaged in their local, state and national news while promoting the importance of print newspapers. The funds raised will provide more than 1,000 daily newspapers into the Moses Lake, Ephrata, Quincy, Othello, Warden, Royal City and Mattawa school districts.

Last year, the scramble-format tournament raised more than $14,000 to help fund the NIE program for the 2015-16 school year. Organizers hope to build on that momentum to help students across 11 school districts in the Columbia Basin receive daily newspapers in the classroom.

The biggest addition to the eighth annual NIE event is the partnership with the Columbia Basin Foundation. The Columbia Basin Foundation is a community foundation supported by a variety of charitable contributions. The foundation is a catalyst for producing relationships, based on service and integrity.

"We're extremely excited to have partnered with the Columbia Basin Foundation this year, which qualifies the event as a 501(c)3," said Eric LaFontaine, publisher, Columbia Basin Publishing Co. "This is the biggest difference to last year's event and I believe it's really going to push us over that $18,000 goal."

The mission is to help with the educational process in a world filled with technological gadgets and a growing list of information sources. Students who use the newspaper in school show significantly more interest in local government, neighborhood events and current issues in foreign affairs. Studies also show that children who frequently read newspapers are more likely to be reading other sources of information. In a three-year study, NIE student groups showed significantly superior gains in spelling and vocabulary in their classrooms.

"Our biggest focus is to keep kids reading and engaging with their community through the local newspaper. Our NIE program is a great way to help kids unplug, but still engage with community," LaFontaine said.

The $50 super ticket provides each team with five mulligans, 10 feet of string (typically used for putts) and eight tickets to enter a raffle for four high-end prizes, which includes a golf and stay package at the Coeur d’Alene Resort and Golf Course, a football tickets pack with Central Washington University season tickets and Washington State University game tickets, a golf tour of central Washington (two rounds of golf at six area courses) and two smokers donated by Home Depot.

"We had great feedback from last year's teams who won a ton of stuff since we only field 12 teams total,” LaFontaine said. “Nearly everyone walked away with a prize ranging from a barbecue, to a weekend golf and stay at the Coeur d'Alene Resort to college football tickets. We're expecting a better turnout this year and better prizes to match."

There are plenty of event sponsorship packages available ranging from $700 to $2,500.

As for the golf itself, the tournament is a scramble format and begins with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. They will award trophies for first, second and third-place teams in addition to a men’s and women’s longest drive, longest putt and closest to the pin awards.

If you or your business would like to take advantage of five different sponsorship categories contact the Columbia Basin Herald at 509-765-4561 or email Ashley Hoffer at ahoffer@columbiabasinherald.com.