Joliet District 204 Foundation golf outing needs golfers

Mark Turk is calling on local golfers to step up to the tee and help the Joliet Township High Schools Foundation.

The 24th annual Brent Wadsworth Alumni Golf Outing that will be held June 5 is struggling to attract the 25 teams the foundation needs for a successful fundraiser.

The golf outing – so far – has just 18 teams, said Turk, who serves as the foundation’s president.

“We’re usually full long before now,” he said. “We’re having problems this year like everybody else is. But we’ve never experienced the problem before. So this is concerning.”

 “It’s pretty hard to replace a fundraiser that, for 24 years, always brought in $25,000.”

—  Mark Turk, president of the Joliet Township High Schools Foundation

Turk said the annual golf outing typically raises $25,000, which funds fall mini-grants for students and staff in Joliet Township High School District 204.

Proceeds from the annual spring trivia event fund the principal’s emergency funds, summer school and testing support for students in need, he said.

“Fortunately, we’re blessed with a good endowment,” Turk said. “So, the scholarships won’t be affected. It’s the other things we fund that are going to be affected.”

This year, the foundation used its fundraising profits, along with endowment income, to award more than $59,500 in scholarships, $25,000 in mini-grants and $6,000 in emergency funding, and it will supply almost $8,000 in summer school and SAT/PSAT testing support for those in need, according to the foundation’s website.

Turk said the foundation has enough carry-over for this fall’s mini-grants, but that may not be the case next year if the June 5 golf outing falls short.

“Teams that have done it in the past aren’t coming, and we don’t know why,” he said. “And we’re just not getting enough new ones to replace them.”

Turk said one company couldn’t golf but offered to sponsor a team. That paid for a team of District 204 college-bound senior girls to golf.

“But that’s one of the 18,” Turk said.

A lack of sufficient teams affects the actual golf event, too, due to a lack of competition.

“The raffle, of course, doesn’t go well,” Turk said.

Golf outing fundraisers seem to be “falling out of favor,” he said, and the foundation board will have to discuss what comes next.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do to replace it,” Turk said. “It’s pretty hard to replace a fundraiser that, for 24 years, always brought in $25,000.”

If you go

The golf outing will be held at Inwood Golf Club, 3200 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet.

The outing starts at 8 a.m. with registration, a continental breakfast and a Bloody Mary bar. The event begins with a shotgun start at 9 a.m., with a scramble format, for 18 holes of golf, according to a news release from the Joliet Township High Schools Foundation.

Golfers will receive four complimentary beverage tickets during the event and enjoy hot dogs, chips and beverages on the turn, according to the release.

The event will culminate with complimentary beer at the 19th hole, a taco bar buffet lunch and sweets, and prize awards, according to the release.

Golfers also will receive a goodie bag, complimentary course games, three holes in one opportunities and prizes for golf winners.

The event will feature a spirits and/or lottery card raffle and bucket raffles, for which players can purchase tickets.

To register and for more information, visit jthsfoundation.org/golf.