Annual Par Tee Fore Kids Postponed

UPDATE: The third annual Par Tee Fore Kids has been rescheduled. The event has been moved to Sunday, May 19. Players and sponsors are still needed for the event. 

It may seem strange to start thinking about Christmas in May, but for employees and volunteers who work with Missouri Children’s Division, plans for Christmas are already underway.

The group who puts on the annual Foster Children’s Christmas Party is gearing up for their Second Annual Par-Tee Fore Kids Golf Tournament which will be held on May 11 at the Terre Du Lac Golf Course.

There are currently near 550 children in foster care in the 24th Judicial Circuit, which includes the counties of St. Francois, Madison, Ste. Genevieve, and Washington. This event will raise money to be used to grant the wishes of children in foster care during the Christmas season. 

The children impacted include children who have been removed from their families due to abuse, which may have included a range from physical abuse to even sexual abuse. Many of the children involved have also been neglected and may have never been able to experience a “real” Christmas.

Each year organizers seek sponsorship from individuals, community organizations, and churches to gather funds to provide these children Christmas.

The tournament will be a “flighted” 18-hole, 4-person scramble and there will be opportunities to win a number of prizes through hole contests, raffles, and silent auctions.

Chuck Phillips, a 2018 golfer, said that he and his dad played golf tournaments all over the area last year and that this tournament was one of the most well put-together tournaments he has seen. “The tournament was full of good fun, great gifts and prizes, and a good cause benefiting foster children,” said Phillips, “we will definitely be getting together a team for 2019.”

Prizes will include 3 day/2 night stay for two adults and two children at YMCA Trout Lodge as well as rounds of golf at various courses including The Legends in Eureka, Aberdeen Golf Club in Eureka, Terre Du Lac Golf Course, Raintree Golf Course in Hillsboro and many others.

Additional prizes will include wine baskets, restaurant gift certificates, golf accessories (putter, wedge, and golf bags), Cardinals baseball tickets, and many other items.

“We are very excited to be partnering again this year with Terre Du Lac Golf Course for the Second Annual Par-Tee Fore Kids Golf Tournament,” said Kim Pate, event coordinator. “This was a huge success last year where we received a lot of community support for the event.”

Pate said she their goal was to make the event even better this year to continue providing support for local children in foster care.

The cost for registration is $240 per team and the fee includes “swag bag,” greens and cart fees, as well as dinner. Teams who register by April 26 will be entered into a drawing for a box of Titleist Pro V1 golf balls.

Dixon Golf will be on site again this year and will provide the Dixon Challenge. Each golfer will receive a free eco-friendly ball and have the opportunity to be entered into the final round of the Fiesta Bowl Million Dollar Hole-In-One Challenge if the golfer can land a hole-in-one.

The group is still seeking hole sponsors as well as raffle and auction items. Contest hole sponsorships are $200 and individual hole sponsors are $50. Sponsors donating $50 or more will have an 18 by 24 inch sign and those sponsoring $100 or more will have a sign as well as having their company name printed on the event t-shirts.

To register for the event or become a sponsor, contact Kim Pate at 573-783-1445 or Pam Herzog at 573-518-2590 or send an email to partee4kids@gmail.com

Individuals can follow tournament updates and giveaways on Facebook at Foster Children Christmas Party.

Checks for registration or sponsorship can be mailed to FCCP, P.O. Box 327 Fredericktown, MO 63645.

Matt McFarland is a reporter for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at 573-518-3616, or at mmcfarland@dailyjournalonline.com.