SOAP LAKE – On Saturday, the Alpha Omega chapter of the Epsilon Sigma Alpha nonprofit organization held its annual charity golf tournament at Lakeview Golf and Country Club. According to President Abby Smith, the tournament was a success.  

“We ended up with 20 teams, so 80 players and a great turnout,” Smith said. “It's probably one of the best turnouts we've had in the last five years. The COVID hit was a doozy for everybody. So, coming back from that, I do feel like we're finally starting to rebuild the event into what it was before COVID.”  

According to ESA Treasurer Kim Bohnet, they expect to have raised around $7,900 after expenses are taken care of with the golf course.  

“It just warms your heart, and all of us, to see the participation and they know where (the money) goes. We had really good feedback from the golfers this year. They were happy,” Bohnet said.  

Over the last few years, ESA has worked to improve the turnout at the annual golf tournament, Smith said. This year, they utilized several attractions to create an event for community members to enjoy.  

They had optional side games for golfers. This included a Hole-in-One Putting contest, Mulligans, a Tee-Off and a Long Drive. They also had a raffle that had prizes like a pizza oven, golf cart heater and range finder.  

At hole five, they had a lemonade stand for golfers. The stand raised $700 and all of that went to the Kids Hope of Moses Lake.  

“Hearing the stories that people share about their experiences with Kids Hope is so fulfilling because that's just another great organization in our community, and we all get to be a part of it and give back to that,” Smith said.  

Smith said her favorite part of the golf tournament is doing the raffle. Apparently, the prize winners will donate their winnings back to the charity they are supporting.  

“It really just shows that people are there to just share and give,” she said. “Everybody comes with such full hearts and wants to give back in any way they can. So, we see a lot of that in extended donations that we receive from people. And then also donating back those raffle prizes that they put tickets in to win, and then they donate it back. It's great to see that.” 

The planning process for the tournament takes several months and gradually picks up steam the closer the event gets, Smith said. After setting the date for it in January, they seek out sponsors to support their cause. From prizes to food, the logistics for planning the golf tournament gets hectic in the final weeks of planning.  

“In the end, super grateful for all the ladies that work with me to get this tournament to go as smoothly as it does. The way that it's gone every year has been amazing. And it's just a lot of fun,” she said.  

Smith said the organization is eager to add more members. For anyone interested in getting involved with ESA, they can reach out to Smith via email: [email protected]. ESA also has a Facebook page where interested community members can reach out for more information.  

They will also be holding a rush event in September, for which a date has not been set yet at the time of press, where anyone interested in learning more can do so. Now that the golf tournament is behind them, Smith said the organization is eager to begin planning more fundraisers. Though it can be a lot to plan, she said the community support makes it all worthwhile.  

“It makes it all worthwhile when the community jumps in, especially when the community is helping us by coming and playing in this tournament and donating their money to the cause, when they could be the very person that we donate to in a hardship, so to see people support their community alongside us is very great,” Smith said.