What a day! On June 1st, we gathered at the West Course at White Pines Golf Club for our 2026 Golf Outing. From the morning check-in and breakfast to the final raffle draw, the day was packed with excitement. Whether you were out on the links, cheering from the sidelines, or joining us for the evening program, we are so grateful for the energy and spirit you brought to the event.

⛳️ On-Course Action & Fun

The weather couldn’t have been better—mostly cloudy with highs in the mid-70s, keeping everyone comfortable as they navigated the course. Our on-course activities were a huge hit this year:

  • The Rizza Hole-in-One: Rizza Ford offered a 2-year lease on a new Ford Explorer on Hole 14. While the car stayed put this year, it definitely kept everyone focused!
  • Beat the Pro: PGA pro Juan Espejo and our board member Doug Porter kept spirits high. For a donation, golfers challenged Juan to a tee shot—and he even helped with the putting.
  • Marshmallow Drive: Kelli’s aunt supplied the legendary marshmallow longest drive hole. Seeing how far (and sometimes erratically!) those marshmallows flew was a highlight of the day.
  • The Golf Ball Cannon: Staffed by two recent KJO Memorial recipients, the cannon was a showstopper. Several groups reported the ball reaching the green on a long par-four—some even rolling over the back!

💙 A Heartfelt Thank You

An event of this magnitude doesn’t happen without a massive team effort. We want to extend a special thank you to our volunteers—your hard work behind the scenes and on the course made the day run flawlessly. To all our golfers, thank you for your participation, your enthusiasm, and for helping us make this event a success.

We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors who stepped up to make this day possible:

  • Rizza Auto Group for the exciting Hole-in-One challenge.
  • Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart for sponsoring our fan-favorite Golf Ball Cannon.
  • Custom Data Processing for sponsoring the Dinner on the 19th Hole.
  • Dubak Electrical Group for sponsoring the Open Bar during dinner.
  • S.B.C. Waste Solutions for sponsoring our lunch.
  • Wolfs Head Restaurant and all our hole sponsors for your continued support.

🏆 Celebrating Our Winners

The competition was fierce! A huge congratulations to our winners:

  • Longest Drive (Women): Julie Burke (who added yet another KJO honor to her collection!)
  • Longest Drive (Men): An incredible blast recorded at over 300 yards.
  • The Kelli Cup (Low Score Foursome): A massive shoutout to our first-time champions: Peter and Jack Brennan, Will Caronchi, and Max Rockrohr. They are taking the trophy home this year!

🧡 Dinner & Heartfelt Moments

The evening portion of the event brought everyone together for a truly beautiful program. Melissa, Kelli’s sister-in-law, kept the evening moving with grace and warmth, sharing touching thoughts that resonated with everyone in the room.

The true highlight, however, was hearing from our 2026 recipients. We had the honor of introducing all six recipients to the crowd. It was an inspiring experience to hear their stories and learn about their aspirations. Even more moving were the short speeches from three of the recipients, who shared firsthand how these scholarships are actively impacting their lives and education. Hearing them speak so candidly about their journeys was a reminder of why we do this work.

The evening wrapped up with our silent auction and the split-the-pot raffle. In a moment that was particularly heartwarming, one of our 2026 recipients, Elena Garcia, won the split-the-pot raffle!

Thank you to everyone who made this day a success—your energy and spirit keep the Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Memorial Foundation mission moving forward. We are already looking forward to seeing you all next year!