photo by: Joselyn King
Golfers prepare to tee off in the 17th Annual Heather Miller Memorial Golf Classic Friday at Oglebay Park’s Crispin Golf Course. Pictured from left and Chase Winiesdorffer, Sam Miller, Michael Selak and Garrett LaBrosse.
Golfers turned out to Oglebay Park Friday not just for fun on a beautiful day, but to raise money for nursing scholarships, organ donor programs and drunk driving awareness.
The 17th Annual Heather Miller Memorial Golf Classic took place throughout the day at the Crispin Golf Course at Oglebay Park.
The tournament was established to honor the memory of Heather Miller, a West Virginia University nursing student who died as a result of a vehicle crash in 2008 just prior to graduation. Money raised benefits the Heather Miller Memorial Nursing Scholarship Foundation, which was founded to provide financial help to aspiring nurses wanting to attend the WVU School of Nursing or other accredited nursing programs.
Miller’s mother Jody Miller oversees the scholarship program. In addition to providing nursing scholarships, money raised helps support projects put forth by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE).
Jody Miller’s brother Joe McGlumphy helps organize the tournament, and he reports about 250 scholarships have been awarded to nursing students over the last 17 years. The scholarships have ranged in value from $500 to $5,000.
This year, 42 four-person teams entered the tournament, making for 168 golfers participating.
“This is basically the only fundraiser we do, which allows us to be able to award the scholarships,” McGlumphy said. “The community involvement and outpouring of everyone lets us take care of our nursing students.”
He noted a number of the golfers participating are from outside the Wheeling area.
“We have quite a few players who come down from the PIttsburgh area,” McGlumphy continued. “We have Team Allegheny, and all of them have received a transplant of an organ of some sort. They are just so appreciative of having another chance to live, and they come down and support us as well.”
Among the golfers was Kevin Green, a kidney transplant recipient from Melbourne, Australia. Green met the Miller family at the Transplant Olympic Games in 2017. McGlumply explained Green bonded with the Millers, and promised to come play in the golf tournament they sponsor.
McGlumphy added the event had about 200 hole sponsors, who donated at least $100 to the event. Individual flags with their names were posted at the first hole tee-off on Friday.
Corporate sponsorships were seen among the flags.
“Not a lot of the people come and play, but they let their employees play – which is kind of nice,” he said. “You get a paid day off to go golf.
“Of the 42 teams, about half are associated with a company locally, or in the Pittsburgh or even in the Columbus area,” McGlumphy added.
Major sponsors include Dr. Howard Shackelford, Miklas Meat Market and WVU Medicine.
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Publish date : 2024-07-27 04:10:18
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