Tellico Village Ladies 9-Hole League golfing for a good cause

The Tellico Village Ladies Golf Association 9-Hole League (TVLGA-9) recently came together to raise $7,245 for the Monroe County Health Center during their charity event held on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

The purpose of the fundraiser was to help local women who have been abused … and trafficked.

Donations raised during the event went directly to the Center’s Crisis Care Fund and the Red Sand Project.

During the event, several attendees wore purple in support of the cause. The fundraiser also featured a raffle for brand-new golf bags, as well as a luncheon at Toqua pavilion after the golfing was done.

A survivor of human trafficking abuse spoke to the League and thanked the lady golfers for their continued support.

It is the second year that the TVLGA-9 has made the Monroe County Health Center its main beneficiary.

RAISING AWARENESS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND ABUSE

“We just thought it was a really good cause,” TVLGA-9 president Rose Howard said. “We like to do stuff that’s geared toward women.

“That’s usually the kind of an event that we pick. You know, a charity that we normally pick is one that supports women, and does things for (them).

“We just thought this was a really good charity event (to raise awareness) for human trafficking and abuse,” Howard said. “Overall it’s just a really good organization.”

In total, there were around 80 ladies that came out to support the mid-August event. According to Howard, it was a great turnout with several ladies willing to pitch in to help.

“They really do support our fundraising events,” Howard said. “They’re always willing to give and give — give their time, give their money, whatever.”

President Howard explained that any event where they can enjoy the game of golf while actively doing something good for the local community makes it difficult not to have a good time.

The three golf bags that were donated as prizes for the raffle helped the TVLGA-9 raise even more money in addition to what was raised from the golf event itself. It successfully pushed the total money raised past the $7,000 threshold.

While the fundraiser was one of the biggest of the year, there are still a couple more events upcoming for the TVLGA-9.

“We’re just wrapping up our season,” Howard said. “We’ve got just a little over a month left to play, so we’re playing our League Championship now and then we’ll have our Awards Lunch at the very end of the season.

“November 5th is our last day for the year and then we’ll start back up in the spring.”