We enjoyed beautiful weather for our golf outing on June 3rd, our first year at White Pines Golf Club in Bensenville, IL, playing the West Course. The Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Memorial Foundation wishes to express its deepest thanks to our Partners in Kindness, sponsors, attendees, golfers, and volunteers. Your participation made this day a resounding success, bringing our community together to raise funds for Kelli’s foundation and introducing our 2024 scholarship recipients. We are deeply grateful for this event, which supports our mission of honoring Kelli Joy’s legacy by providing educational opportunities and fostering kindness and compassion among young people.
The day started with a split-the-putt contest before the shotgun start at 10 am. With about 40 golfers participating, we raised over $800 for the foundation. The generous winner donated all of his winnings back to the foundation, exemplifying the spirit of giving that defines our community.
Golfers teed off at their assigned starting holes and enjoyed a variety of activities throughout the day. The longest marshmallow drive contest saw impressive drives over 40 yards, with the winner taking home a set of emoji golf balls.
Melissa Douglas, KJO Board Member gives the Golf Ball Canon a try.
The compressed air golfball cannon, a favorite every year, was held on the fifth hole a 470 years par 5. Using the cannon, golfers launch their balls over 300 yards for a small donation. There’s no telling where those cannon launch golf balls may end up, so all those participating were encouraged to drop their balls about 70 yards from the green for a shot at an eagle. Speeding up play and improving scores.
Please be sure to check out all the foursome photographs we took. Our photographers, recent scholarship recipients Greta Kulat and Jenna Rentz, captured wonderful shots of each foursome at this hole.
Rizza Auto Group sponsored the Hole-in-One Contest on the 17th hole, with a two-year lease on a new Ford Bronco up for grabs. Although no one claimed the prize this year, the excitement and anticipation added to the day’s festivities. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Rizza Auto Group for their generosity and continued support.
Mauve celebrating her hole-in-one on the 8th green!
While no one claimed the big prize this year, we did witness an exciting hole-in-one on the 8th hole by Mauve McDougal, a college golfer and KJO recipient from the class of 2023. Her team surprised her with the flag from the 8th hole and a signed scorecard from the foursome! She told me it was her first-ever hole-in-one, and we are thrilled that she achieved this milestone at our outing.
Mauve chose a 7-day vacation as her prize—congratulations, Mauve!
Golfers and volunteers enjoyed a delicious outdoor BBQ lunch “at the turn” between the 9th and 10th holes. After the round, everyone gathered in the upstairs dining room for dinner, drinks, and great music from Good Jim and Kelly. We also took a moment to remember one of our supporters who passed away too soon.
We were honored to have past scholarship recipient Andrea Stirling share her college experience and the foundation’s impact on her life. After dinner, prizes were awarded for golfing excellence. The low-score prize went to Mauve McDougal’s team, which finished 13 under par, earning them the Kelli Cup for another year. Congratulations to Mauve, Rick Heinz, Jason Hiser, and their non-playing (this year) captain and KJO Board Member, Rick Heinz.
Finally, we proudly introduced the KJO Scholars for the class of 2024. See their video introductions below. Thank you all for making this day so special and for your unwavering support of the Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Memorial Foundation. Together, we continue to make a difference and keep Kelli’s spirit alive.
