Ninth Annual Tampa Fisher House Golf Tourney A Classic!

FisherHouseWEBMeanwhile, we went to press so soon after the ninth annual Fisher House Golf Classic (held at Pebble Creek Country Club off Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd.) on October 30 that organizer and New Tampa Noon Rotary Club president Val Casey and her amazing committee did not yet have a total amount of funds raised.

But, with a full field of golfers and plenty of great sponsorships — including, for the first time, Val’s employer Delta Airlines — there’s little doubt that this year’s Fisher House Golf Classic was, indeed, a true classic.

Of course, the Tampa Fisher House is the 20-bed residence which houses and feeds — at no charge — the families and significant others of the wounded soldiers being treated at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital.

And, thanks to Val, the Arbor Greene resident from a military family who has organized and run the annual golf tourney to benefit the Haley Fisher House, more than $210,000 already had been raised in the previously eight years of the event, including surpassing her goal of $30,000 this year.

Val again thanks her fellow New Tampa Noon Rotary Club members Barry and Clare Shuman, as well as all of the tournament’s sponsors, golfers and supporters for their efforts this year and was again thrilled that injured U.S. Army Ranger Romy Camargo and several other Purple Heart recipients and other military veterans were again on-hand for the event.

Tampa Fisher House director Paula Welenc and Fisher House national Board member and U.S. Marines Lt. Gen. (ret.) Marty Steele, who has been a member of the Board of Directors of the national Fisher House Foundation, were both again thrilled to be able to attend — and speak at — the tournament’s awards ceremony.

“We certainly couldn’t have housed more than 850 family members of our wounded soldiers at the Tampa Fisher House without all of you supporting events like this one,” Welenc said.

To make a donation, email ValCasey3@aol.com or visit FisherHouse.org.

2nd 'Trick's Kicks' Tourney Nets nearly $11K!

KICK2Kingshyre at Cross Creek residents Dick & Kathy Strom, who lost their son Patrick to a single-vehicle accident a little more than three years ago, are proud to report that the second annual “Trick’s Kicks” golf outing at Heritage Isles Country Club on Oct. 17 raised about $10,800.

Dick says that amount is about $3,500 more than last year, which will buy, “a lot of sneakers for a lot of needy kids in our area.”

Trick’s Kicks is a nonprofit organization started by the Stroms and their friends in honor of Patrick (who was called “Trick” for short), who loved to collect athletic shoes (“kicks”). Since starting the organization, Trick’s Kicks has donated dozens of pairs of sneakers to kids in need, including 35 pairs donated to the kids at the Everyday Blessings orphanage in Thonotosassa.

Dick says that a full field of golfers, increased sponsorships and promotion in the Neighborhood News all helped the second tourney beat last year’s total, and he says the hope is that “we can do even better again next year.”

Food was provided for the event by Hoosier’s Gille, the restaurant located inside Heritage Isles CC. Among the prizes given away was a 55-inch flat-screen TV, which was won by Kyle Taylor, the last entrant in the event’s putting contest and the only contestant to sink the 60-footer.

For more info, visit Facebook.com/Trick’s Kicks.