For over 20 years, NILP’s Annual Golf Tournament has brought in essential funding for our various programs supporting people with disabilities.
Community members have rallied behind our mission and got involved in several ways:
- Dedicated golfers like Corey have invited friends and co-workers to join him.
- Companies like HIRSCH ROBERTS WEINSTEIN have sponsored regularly (and many others!).
- Individuals & businesses have donated items to our raffle & auction.
- Committed volunteers have shown up rain or shine.
Corey’s Golfer Story
Ten years ago, Corey began attending our Golf Tournament after his cousin, a staff member at NILP, connected him to the event. Not only did he have a fun outing with his friends, but he learned more about our mission and work through videos and stories shared by our staff.
Corey describes his involvement with the event: “This resonated with us, and it led us to spread the word about the organization and the charity golf event to our friends and co-workers.”
Spreading the word is an understatement. At the 2022 tournament, Corey arrived with not one team but five teams. That’s a total of 20 golfers! They all had a great morning golfing at the Renaissance Club and stayed for lunch to participate in our raffle and live auction. After the tournament, some had their donations matched by their employers, increasing their impact even further.
Would you like to join us this year? Register here.
Partnerships
We’re fortunate to have the support of local businesses and community agencies. Many organizations sponsor yearly. HIRSCH ROBERTS WEINSTEIN has been one of those companies, giving in various ways. Some years they donate an item to our live auction, sponsor, or both. Moore Staffing Services sponsored and donated sought-after Red Sox and Patriots tickets this year!
Donating an item to our raffle or live auction can raise more funds than you can imagine. Participants will drop multiple tickets to have a chance to win various restaurant and retail gift cards. It’s not uncommon for signed sports memorabilia or tickets to cause bidding wars at our auction!
In addition to sponsoring, some of our partners, such as the Lowell Housing Authority, also directly assist the disability community with affordable housing. As our tournament continues to grow, the sponsorship benefits we can offer become more and more creative.
Volunteering
Volunteers are a crucial component to the success of this event, giving their time and skills. With their help, we can manage the setup, registration, contests, raffle, and live auction.
Volunteering starts long before teeing off. Months before, relationships are formed, and commitments are established. Availability and skills are assessed to ensure the arrangement works for everyone.
Prior to the Golf Tournament, emails are sent to volunteers with their assignments, and advanced training is given if needed. On the day of, some volunteers start early with us as the sun rises, and some stay late until all is cleaned up.
Gary, a long-time supporter and current board member, attends with his spouse, selling raffle tickets on the course. Kayla uses her photography skills to provide us with amazing photos during our luncheon and live auction.
Last year, board members managed our first-ever Longest Drive Marshmallow Contest. They were far busier than anyone expected. Golfers really wanted to win bragging rights to see who could hit their marshmallow the farthest. The winner ultimately drove it 110 feet!
Are you interested in joining our crew? Sign-up on our volunteer form, and we’ll reach out to see how you can be part of our community of change-makers!
One of our consumers said it best, “NILP builds community in everything that they do, so you don’t feel alone.”
Through community, we can meet our mission to ensure that any person with a disability who wishes to live independently is connected to the information, services, and peer support they need to achieve their hopes and dreams.
We encourage you to join us this year as a golfer, sponsor, or volunteer on Monday, June 12th, 2023, at the Renaissance Club in Haverhill, MA. Sign up at www.nilp.org/golf.
Photo: Corey and crew from 2022
