Potter’s Hands golf event set for Aug. 3. Why this is a cause worth supporting.

Next month the Potter’s Hands Foundation will be hosting a golf event at Indian Hills in Painted Post. It is one of five fundraising events the organization sponsors during the calendar year.

The golf tournament will take place on Saturday, Aug. 3 with an 11 a.m. shotgun start. It will feature a four-person per team scramble format. The entry fee for the event is $125 per person or $500 per team. That entry will include 18 holes of golf with cart along with a tee gift. There will be refreshments provided on the course and the golf playing will be followed by a banquet lunch at the course.

For those of you not familiar with the Potter’s Hands organization, which is a nationally based organization, they help victims who have been abused and/or who have been victimized by human trafficking. The hard truth is that human trafficking is not just a large city issue, it happens right here in the Twin Tiers area. It’s a very serious issue and the Potter’s Hands organization is one that is doing all they can to help these victims.

To better explain what they are about follows:

"The Potter’s Hands Foundation is a faith-based, non-profit organization, and our desire is to help women, ages 18 and up, who have been trapped by the oppression of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation find hope and healing. We provide a safe, secure environment in which women receive counseling and are nurtured in physical, emotional and spiritual healing, while being equipped with the skills necessary for self-reliance and reintegration to society. Just as a potter molds and shapes clay into a beautiful creation, our hope is that these women will be shaped into all that God has planned for them."

It’s possibly an organization that a lot of people may not be aware of, but it’s a real issue, not only in large metropolitan cities, but in rural areas as well. Just one participation in any of their fundraising events will make you very aware of what this problem is all about. They bring an awareness to a very sensitive issue and the volunteers that work in the Potter’s Hands organization are truly wonderful and caring people.

While they’ve already held their Dinner Dessert Auction, Horseshoe Tournament and Chicken BBQ events, the golf tournament on the third of August at Indian Hills is a very major fundraiser for the organization. In November, they will hold their fifth and final fundraiser, The Hands of Hope Gala.

Anyone interested in entering the golf tournament can do so by visiting their website at www.thepottershandsfoundation.org where all the information you need can be found. You can also follow them on social media at this address - @TPHFoundation. And they have an email address: thepottershandsfoundation@gmail.com . Their mailing address is: The Potter’s Hands Foundation, P.O. Box 1564, Corning, NY, 14830.

If you can’t make it the golf tournament or the Hand of Hope Gala, you can also get information on the website showing you how you can a make a donation to this awesome organization. You can make a one-time donation or you can also set up a monthly donation.

A truly remarkable organization that deserves the support of the community. So, if you can’t make it to the golf event or the Hands of Hope Gala, give some serious thought to making a donation. It will truly be appreciated and any monetary donation goes directly to helping the victims this organization if helping. They are a non-profit organization and any donations are tax deductible.

More: Meet the 2024 Elmira/Corning/Ithaca Elite 7 Golf Team

A golf etiquette reminder

Been playing quite a bit of golf lately and actually got a few remarks from a previous column regarding golf course etiquette .

So, they asked if some of the stuff could be repeated. No problem. Golf’s a great game to be enjoyed by everyone from all walks of life. Let’s just make it a better experience for everyone.

Start with being on time for your tee time. Is 20 minutes early asking too much? If, for some reason, you can’t make your tee time, call the course as soon as you can and let them know. That way they can fill that time with other golfers. Do not bring alcoholic beverages to the course. For one, it’s against the law and, for two, it’s just completely the wrong thing to do. So, don’t do it.

If you smoke, and quite frankly it’s a habit you should really try to break, properly dispose of your cigarette and cigar butts. That means don’t put them out on the green, the edge of the green or the tee box and don’t just flip them in a sand trap. Put them out and then deposit them in the next trash receptacle you see. Most every course has one on the tee box on every hole. So, there is no excuse.

Replace divots in the fairway and ball marks on the greens. Fix your ball mark and another one, if you see it. There is a proper way to fix a ball mark – push in, not pull up. Anyone in the pro shop will show you how to do that.

Keep golf carts at least 25 feet from the greens and try not to drive between a green and a sand trap. Basic stuff folks. Enjoy yourself and respect the other people on the course. That should be pretty self-explanatory.

It’s been a very warm and humid summer so far and it looks like that will be the case for the better part of the rest of the summer, so stay hydrated. If you like to walk all the time, take a minute and think about taking a cart once in a while. Don’t overdo it.

Enjoy the game and respect the course. The folks that maintain the local golf courses take a great deal of pride in presenting a golf course that is in great condition. They work their butts off so you can have an enjoyable experience and want to come back. Respect them because they respect you. It’s that two-way street.

-- Larry French writes a weekly column.

This article originally appeared on The Leader: Potter’s Hands golf event set for Aug. 3. Why this is a cause worth supporting.