Southland senior helps raise $15K by holding "Longest Day of Golf" Fundraiser
Jun. 30—ADAMS — Southland head golf coach Sam Klaehn is a little cooler this summer, thanks to the efforts of golfers on his team.
After Southland senior Annika Erickson organized a "Longest Day of Golf" Fundraiser that raised $ 15,000, Klaehn agreed to let the team shave his head for their reward. Erickson, who set up the fundraiser as part of her senior project, organized a day of golf that went from 4:45 a.m. to past 9 p.m. on June 19. The day saw 243 rounds of golf played in total from current and former Rebel golfers alike as Cohen Wiste played 200 holes on the day and Claire Nelsen played 153 holes.
"We had a lot of people come out," Erickson said. "Anybody who wanted to play could come and join us."
The money raised for the event will fund a new putting and chipping green at Cedar Valley Golf Course and it will be a welcomed addition as the Rebels had 38 golfers on the team this past spring, with Grand Meadow/LeRoy-Ostrander, which also uses CVGC as its home course, carrying a roster of 30 golfers.
"The golf course has done so much for us by letting us come out here and practice for free and to have our meets out here," Erickson said. "They give high school players generous discounts for summer memberships, and to be able to give back to the golf course was really great."
Klaehn said the improvements to the course will be vital for practice space in the future and he commended his team for stepping up and finding a way to give back.
"These kids have really grown to enjoy the game and it's really cool to see how passionate they are about golf," Klaehn said. "To see them give back makes us coaches really proud. Golf is a really addicting sport. You hit that first shot or get that first Par and you want to do it again. We're a pretty laid-back group and we have a lot of fun with it."
Erickson learned about organization, community outreach, and taxes for non profits while setting up the event. She also created posters and banners to promote the event and she made sure that her teammates participated.
Overall, she's come a long way with her love of golf as a sport.
"When I first joined the golf team, it was because my friends were out here and that was a big part of spending time with friends," Erickson said. "As the years have gone on I've gotten better at the sports, believe it or not. The feeling when you finally do something that you've really worked at is enough to make you keep coming back."
The fund raiser worked through Rebel Nation in Southland, and the money went to the golf course.
