Golf event honors fallen officer, funds scholarships

SUNSET HILLS, Mo. – Golf was much more than a game Wednesday in Sunset Hills. A tournament honoring a local police officer drew a sold-out crowd and raised tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships.

The third annual Michael V. Langsdorf Golf Tournament is in memory of the North County Police Cooperative Officer. Michael Langsdorf was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance in June of 2019.

Chris Burgdorf was a friend and worked closely with Langsdorf at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

“Mike and I worked together several times over the years. We were partners a couple times. Different units together,” Burgdorf said. “We are all about supporting the families after the fact, and they are just as part of this as we are.”

The event honored Langsdorf and his commitment to the community by raising money for scholarships for the next generation of first responders.

“EMT and fire students, they’ll write an essay to apply for the scholarship. Our family will go through them, and we’ll decide who we think is the best applicant. We’ll go in and pay for their schooling,” Langsdorf’s son, Kaleb, said.

The outpouring of gratitude is moving to Langsdorf’s mother, Bess.

“They always touch my heart. When they give me a hug and tell me how much they appreciate it,” she said.

In just three years, the charity created in Langsdorf’s name has raised more than $64,000 in scholarships, as well as equipment at police and fire academies.

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