For the seventh year in a row, Bridges of Hope was the fortunate recipient of proceeds raised at the 21st Annual Fred-Mark Charity Invitational at Grand View Lodge. At the Tournament Dinner on Monday night, Fred Boos declared, “Bridges of Hope is the best organization serving the Brainerd/Nisswa area.” (We–humbly–agree…or at least would add ourselves to the list of great organizations serving this community!)
More than 230 golfers from all over Minnesota turned out for the two-day tournament, starting with 27 holes on Memorial Day, which was complete with a ribbon-cutting and capped with a dinner that included awards, games, a silent auction and recognition of donors & sponsors–all which benefited Bridges of Hope’s work with families in the Lakes Area. It’s always a great opportunity to share the message about our work, which impacts over 2,300 households every year.
Fred Boos and Mark Ronnei (pictured above) are the namesakes of the tournament and the principal driving force that caused the event to take on a charitable focus several years ago. The event on Monday broke records, raising over $20,000 for our work with individuals and families–and the cumulative total raised at this event over seven years is more than $65,000! The event has allowed us to make some great friends, both those who live in the area and those who spend most of their time in the Twin Cities. I always enjoy catching up with the Fred-Mark “regulars” at the clubhouse in the morning and at the dinner in the fabulous Gull Lake Center in the evening.
We couldn’t pull this event off without wonderful sponsors and a fabulous committee. (Click here to see a listing of this year’s sponsors and how much the event has raised this year.) I’m so thankful to Bridges of Hope Board Member and this year’s Committee Chair, Kevin Littman, as well as the other hard-working committee members–Pat Sharbonda, Patty Baltz, Val Knudsen, Meghann Morris, and Tim Bauman.
The funds raised at this event are so important, as the demand for our services is 50% higher now than it was four years ago–and we continue to grow and expand into initiatives such as work with teen parents and a mentoring program for adults, it is more important than ever to have such great support from our community.
A BIG thank you to Fred, Mark, golfers and Grand View Lodge Staff for helping making our work possible!
Get Involved:
Make a gift in honor of the Fred-Mark Charity Invitational.
Talk to Michele about becoming a mentor for our Mentoring program, currently in development (email michele@bridgesofhopemn.org or call 218.825.7682).