SYRACUSE – Saturday’s golf fundraiser was a laughing matter.
In the fifth gathering of Goofy Golf at Wawasee Golf Club, the mystery began to wane for those who continue to return to the event. The course load of work hasn’t changed much in the half decade of the invitational’s existence, although the purpose shifted just a bit. The event has raised over $5,000 for those dealing with cystic fibrosis, this Saturday’s haul of $1,119 being donated to the Clem family of New Paris, where Ethan Clem suffers from the dreaded disease.
The point of the golf outing is strictly fun, combined with the purpose of donating to help curtail the struggles of CF. Organizer Jace Stewart, a friend of the Clem family, put on the event again this year to help Ethan and his family overcome some of the financial burden associated with treatments and doctor visits. While the $1,119 won’t cover all of the costs, it will help in a scenario where the Clems saw a jump in premiums in 2017. And the sentiment is certainly appreciated.
“We’re just here to have fun, raising awareness,” Stewart said. The Clems were unable to make the outing this year, but have attended in year’s past. “Our government doesn’t help with cystic fibrosis research and development of medications. They are coming a long way, but it’s up to us to figure out a way to pay for it. Just trying to help families out. Life expectancy of CF’ers is getting greater and greater. They’re making progress, but we have to keep doing things like this to help them out.”
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive system.
Cystic fibrosis affects the cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices. These secreted fluids are normally thin and slippery. But in people with cystic fibrosis, a defective gene causes the secretions to become thick and sticky. Instead of acting as a lubricant, the secretions plug up tubes, ducts and passageways, especially in the lungs and pancreas.
Among the zany on the golf course were tee shots of the strange, putts of the obtuse and obstacles just plain goofy. Of note by Stewart and most in the invite were the baseball tee on hole three – which had golfers hit their ball off a t-ball tee, then throw the ball the remainder of the fairway; the tennis tee on hole one – which was exclusively tennis balls and racquets from tee to green into the hole; and the Happy Gilmore hole on hole four – tee shot like Adam Sandler from the movie, then a normal approach to the green, then putting with a golden hockey stick.
There were also a closest to the pin on seven, longest drive on two, drives out of a tire on five, like a flamingo on six, and the use of a junior driver on eight. On nine, golfers were only allowed to use one club the entire length of the par-five.
“It’s great to see the people out again and again, and the donations are starting to increase as well,” Stewart said, who prefers to keep the invite as invitation-only and 10 teams. “Most everyone here has played before, but we did have a few new faces this year, and possibly next year we could grow it a little more.”
Winning the 10-team invite was the foursome captained by Andrew Waugh, their score a collective 31 on the par-35 course.
