Hannah Whelan
In Motion Staff Writer
A beautiful, sunny Florida morning greeted teams of golfers from various companies such as Realty Pro, Daytona International Speedway and Publix Supermarket who all donated money to the Kiwanis club to provide scholarships for students in need across the county.
The Kiwanis Club in partner with Sugar Mill Golf and Country Club held the 41st annual “Score one for Kids” golf tournament Saturday April 22. Separate organizations sponsored different winnings such as gold, silver, and bronze. The winning team of the tournament received a $75 gift certificate to Dick’s Sporting Goods, along with smaller door-prizes from a donation raffle.
The scholarship provided to students by the Kiwanis club is for recent high school graduates with a requirement that they have a 3.0 high school GPA, and are taking 12 credits in their fall semester of college. The scholarship is for $500 and is awarded to as many possible recipients each year. In 2015, 10 scholarships were awarded to Volusia county high school graduates, and since 2008, $47,215 has been awarded in total.
Each year, the same sponsors come back to participate in the tournament and have a golf-filled day with fellow philanthropists.
“The players always seem excited about the club and they know they’re all coming together for a good cause,” said Kiwanis club member Kay Burniston who has been with the club and the Daytona State Foundation for years.
Along with retailers and realtors, Daytona State had representatives of their own from the women’s Golf Team.
The teams set off with the majority of teams setting off in sets of four, with a few teams consisting of two people. Daytona State’s Elizabeth Jackson and Kaye Kwon participated in the tournament, helping to support their classmates as well as new arrivals to the school, and getting the opportunity to play at a world class venue right in their own backyard.
Kiwanis club members were out in full force to volunteer and ensure the day went smoothly. Circuit Court Judge Nominee and Kiwanis Club member Stasia Warren showed her support by helping delegate the holes to different teams, where they started in teams of two.
The Kiwanis club members attribute their success of the four-decade long tradition to the team that comes together to make it all work.
“Suzanne Steiner is one of the driving forces in the club,” said Burniston while Steiner sang a different tune, accrediting all the work to Kiwanis member John Koberg.
“John is sort of the chairman and the rest of us do what he says,” said Steiner who has been a member of the Kiwanis Club since 1990, and with the Daytona State Foundation for just as long.
The club offers more than just community service through scholarships, to learn more about how to get involved with the Kiwanis Club of Daytona Beach visit www.daytonabeachkiwanis.org.