Disc Golf Tournament Helps To Raise Funds For Scholarship Fund
Christian James, Disc Golfer With A Purpose, takes a shot at Saturday’s Disc Golf Tournament at Edmundson Park in Oskaloosa.
Oskaloosa, Iowa – It may be the middle of March, but it wasn’t too early in the season for some disc golf.
T.J. Brom hosts an annual disc golf tournament every year at Edmundson Park. “It has grown,” Brom said of the annual tournament. Brom has hosted this tournament for the past 11 years, and he sees a continued growth and interest in the sport. Brom has ran tournaments in Oskaloosa for 15 years, and Saturday was the 50th tournament he has hosted.
Brom hosts the tournaments because he enjoys the sport. “I love the camaraderie of the sport. I love bringing people into Osky. That way they can experience the course.”
The Oskaloosa event is the start of the Iowa Tour.
This year, the group of nearly 100 golfers took part in helping to raise funds for recently deceased, 17 year-old Bethanne Cooksey, of Hedrick. Cooksey was killed in a traffic accident on March 7th in Keokuk County. The hope is to start a scholarship fund at her school in Pekin.
Christian James, Disc Golfer With A Purpose was one of the many people enjoying the spring-like weather, their sport and the company of their friends.
James has a different spin on his tournament outings. He starting using his passion of the sport to help others around him by raising funds. James does this through sponsorships. A sponsor may pay .25 cents for each time he pars. When many people choose to sponsor the cause, the money for the cause can grow quickly.
“When I started playing the sport of disc golf, it took three shots for me to fall in love with it. For years, I got nothing but joy out of it. But throughout those years, I realized it was about myself. It was about me getting out and competing and doing the best I could to collect any type of winnings at a tournament and just better myself as an athlete. Well, a few years ago, I decided I could take this passion, like I’ve taken other passions in my life, I could take that passion and put it to good use.” said James.
“I could use the power of a growing sport and make light in the lives of others. And so, I’ve started ‘Disc Golfer With A Purpose’. So now, when I’m on the course, it’s not just about me, it’s about the individuals I’m playing for,” added James.
By the end of the day $120 dollars had been raised to go towards making that scholarship fund possible, not only by James, but many others.
