Golfers gather for United Way support

More than 100 golfers and volunteers gathered at Fianna Hills Country Club on Monday (April 22) for the 2013 United Way Tournament to raise money for the United Way of Fort Smith Area.

The event was sponsored by Arvest Bank, with The City Wire serving as the media supporter for the event. Harry Robinson Buick GMC also helped sponsor the event,

Beth Presley, Arvest’s marketing director in the Fort Smith area and lead event organizer, expected at least $6,000 to be raised, but said the total could reach $7,000.

“We still have some donations coming up. … We’ve had a great response,” Presley said.

The tournament had 25 teams sign up, and the Arvest “grill team” provided a lunch that included brats and chicken.

Josh Tomlinson, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith and member of the UAFS golf team, was on hand to drive the ball from the tee box for players willing to make a small donation to the tournament. His drives tended to be considerably straighter and longer than the “paying” players.

Tomlinson is a graduate of Lavaca High School.

United Way of Fort Smith Area improves lives by connecting people and resources in our six-county area – Crawford, Franklin, LeFlore, Logan, Sebastian and Sequoyah counties. More than $2.1 million was raised during the United Way’s most recent annual drive.

Through partnerships, long-term planning and wise investment of donor gifts, United Way directs resources toward our communities’ most pressing health and human service issues and serves as a vital link between those who can help and those who need help.

A local volunteer board of directors governs United Way of Fort Smith Area with all decisions made locally. Several hundred volunteers help with the campaign and with a variety of other activities. This United Way is independent of all other United Ways.