Winter Open a Success for United Way

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Having to compete against the regular golf course isn’t something one would have expected for the annual Oskaloosa Winter Open.

For Mahaska County United Way, this was their first year of hosting the annual event, which had previously been under the YMCA’s direction for the first 5 years.

The move to the United Way allowed each hole to be co-sponsored by one of their 17 partner agencies along with a business partner. Every hole had a unique design created by the business and partners.

Like many events, it had begun to struggle, but the reorganization helped to revitalize the event and bring in new faces.

Mahaska County United Way Executive Director, Amy Meyer, said that partnering with other agencies made for a larger group of people. The individuals have more buy-in to the event, multiplying the efforts of the volunteers and agencies to make the weekend event a success.

Meyer said that funds raised during the Winter Open will help offset the shortfall during the annual fundraising campaign the United Way does every year. “Our goal as United Way is to give out as much money as we can to our partner agencies. We heard about this event, and we saw it as an opportunity to increase every dollar.”

“It’s really just about making sure we support our partner agencies the best we can,” added Meyer. “Every time you do something like this, you’re always impressed at people’s generosity, and not just with their money but with their time.”

Meyer praised the volunteers who help make events like the Winter Open successful.