Charity Golf Outings Putt Focus on Helping Hand

It takes a special breed of individual to devote their business career to helping people in a time of great loss.

The costs of doing so are both emotional and physical—emotional stress from dealing with unexpected, difficult and frequently tragic, life-altering situations on a daily basis, and physical strains on one’s body as it is often put in harm’s way and forced to work on a 24 hour clock. It takes a special commitment to accept such a daily challenge and not take an ‘easier’ way out through a less stressful vocation. But that is exactly what “first responders” have chosen to do, a group that includes well-publicized occupations such as firefighters, policemen, and EMTs, but also counts disaster relief workers, insurance property loss adjusters, and property restoration contractors among its members.

Each of these sets of dedicated professionals go through hours and hours of specialized training to achieve a level of competence that allows them to succeed when it matters most—when a house is burning, when a hotel is flooded, when a tornado whips through a town, etc. Communities rely on these people to respond quickly, efficiently and just as importantly with compassion and understanding. And respond they do, taking care of their fellow citizens when they need it most. However, it is not just when disaster strikes that this group responds. As is proven time and time again, this group is truly devoted to helping their communities, well before and/or long after the disaster occurs, and very often on their own personal time.

Given their rather hectic work life, it is not surprising that restoration contractors often turn to a more leisurely outlet when finding ways to give even more of themselves to their communities, and golf has always been a perfect pursuit.

Charity golf outings allow participants to relax in the great outdoors, socialize with their industry counterparts in a non-work setting, and raise money for good causes. And the fact that the beneficiaries of such efforts are the people or organizations that they work with on a daily basis makes it all the better.
Companies step forward

C&B Services of Port Neches, Texas, offers a perfect example of a contracting company supporting a group that it works directly with in the field.

In 2002, C&B initiated an annual golf tournament to benefit its local chapter of the American Red Cross, just one of several ways that C&B has worked with the local organization. C&B’s efforts were particularly timely as there has been a tremendous increase in the chapter’s relief efforts over the last two years. Jason Sellers, executive director for the Beaumont, Texas, chapter of the American Red Cross said the “funds raised as a result of this golf tournament are very much appreciated.” And C&B President Troy Crochet was quick to point out the logic behind their support, noting that the two organizations’ complementary roles in aiding disaster victims “creates a natural partnership in providing the Houston-area with a team that is experienced and equipped to handle any disaster.”

The local volunteer fire departments of Butte, Tehama and Shasta, Calif., counties are the fortunate beneficiaries of the efforts of Cleanrite-Buildrite Inc. of Chico, Calif. “Most people don’t know it, but over 80 percent of all the firemen in the United States are volunteers,” Chris Hill, marketing manager of Cleanrite-Buildrite, said. “They are always in need of funds from the private sector to ensure that they are properly outfitted to do their job well and secure the safety of the community.” Over the last two years, Cleanrite-Buildrite has raised more than $30,000 for the counties’ departments from their golf outing.

In Ohio, two Disaster Kleenup companies have similarly supportive relationships with institutions that care for the victims of disasters in their local markets. OmniClean of Cleveland, holds an annual outing that benefits the nationally renowned Burn Center of Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center, and Cousino Construction of Toledo donates the proceeds of its event to the burn centers of a local children’s home.

“While our organizations do very different things, we share a common goal of helping after a disaster,” Steve Osman, president of OmniClean, commented. “Unfortunately, when there is a fire, there may be people that get hurt. We are happy to help an organization that helps victims after the unexpected happens.”

Of course it doesn’t always have to be a cause that is directly related to the company’s business for a firm to donate its time and money. Sometimes it’s related to personal ties to a charitable organization, and sometimes it’s done merely because it’s a great cause in its own right and employees feel good about contributing. This is clearly the case for Fireservice Disaster Kleenup of Fort Myers, Fla., that regularly hosts an annual golf outing to the local Relay for Life event which raises money for the American Cancer Society.

“We find that our golf outing is something that our employees look forward to every year,” Greg Frith of Fireservice, said. “It’s something that everyone can participate in, whether through planning or volunteering or playing, and I think it really raises the awareness for our whole company of the American Cancer Society and the good things they are doing.”

In Connecticut, JP Maguire Associates, a restoration company based in Waterbury, co-sponsors the Continuum of Care golf outing in New Haven along with Merit Insurance.

Continuum of Care’s mission is to provide comprehensive community-based residential and support services that enable persons with psychiatric and developmental disabilities to live as fully and independently in the community as possible. “We are only in business because the business community and individual homeowners open their doors to us when they are in need of assistance during a difficult time,” Wayne Provost, executive vice president of JP Maguire, said. “It’s only natural for us to return some of those funds to others who are in less than favorable circumstances.”

Personal experiences touch home
For Alan Green, it was for very personal reasons that his company, Green Construction of Lakeland, Fla., started the annual Green Charity Golf Classic to support the Children’s Cancer Center of Tampa Bay.

In December 2001, Green lost his youngest daughter, 11-year-old Danielle, to cancer. During Danielle’s two-year illness, the Children’s Cancer Center provided boundless support to the Green family, and still fosters a close relationship with the family nearly three years later. Since hosting their first outing in April 2002, Green Construction has raised nearly $100,000 for the Center at a time when other ‘traditional’ sources of funds were becoming harder to come by, and Green will tell anyone that it is the least he can do for such an organization that has such a direct impact in the community.

Similar personal ties have led other companies to sponsor outings to support specific organizations. Chelsea Construction of Warner Robbins, Ga., is a major sponsor of local tournaments that benefit youth outreach organizations in their metropolitan community. Four Star Cleaning and Restoration of Fremont, Calif., hosts an outing to support the Breast Cancer Center of Oakland, Calif., in memory of the sister of Four Star’s President Cary Adler, a victim of breast cancer.

While golf outings are often used to support worthwhile organizations and help communities rebuild following disasters, they can just as importantly build critical teamwork among individuals and companies that need to work with one another in a common cause. The success of any large-scale effort to effectively respond to catastrophes and other property losses is built upon the ability of individuals to work effectively with one another. The development of these individual relationships before a disaster strikes is a smart tactic to ensure a successful outcome when team members must count on one another in a stressful situation.

For 21 years, J. Bowers Construction in Akron, Ohio, has held a golf outing that brings together all its business partners—insurance adjusters, equipment suppliers, subcontractors, public safety workers, community leaders—in a fun environment that allows each party to see the other in a non-work setting, which in some cases can be a turning point in a relationship. For many years there has been a perceived adversarial relationship between contractors and adjusters in some quarters, and the opportunity to spend a few carefree hours on the links often allows these two groups to understand that each has but one goal in mind—to satisfy their mutual customer.

Similar outings are held by Sullivan’s Cleaning and Restoration of Green Bay, Wis., and Anderson Group International of Bakersfield, Calif. And the connection that these vital, interlocking industry players make at these events, whether charitable or not, is not lost on ‘outsiders.’ Mary Ann Massolio, executive director of the Children’s Cancer Center commented after the Green Construction Golf Classic, “what is especially unique and gratifying about this event is seeing the local industry participants really come together to raise money for the Center and support the entire Green Construction family.”

And regardless of the ultimate beneficiary of an outing, the only way that an event is going to be successful is if it is fun for all. One way to ensure this is to hold a variety of contests, which range from putting contests to prizes for the longest drive. The staple of almost all golf outings is the hole-in-one prize, which is usually awarded to the lucky duffer who aces a particular hole during the day. The prize is often a new vehicle offered by a local automobile dealer, which gets wonderful exposure for the dealership by placing a brand new model next to the tee box. While it is rare that someone ever makes a hole-in-one, there is always good-natured banter amongst the contestants on the chosen hole and the possibility of a prize worth $25,000 or more adds to the public relations impact of the event. And of course, every now and then, someone actually does record the rare ace.

Such an instance occurred this year at the Northwest Loss Association golf outing in Minneapolis. Quantum Restoration of Bloomington, Minn., sponsored a hole-in-one contest on the 16th hole, and when Jim Stoops of GAB Robins aced the par 3 with a 7-iron he was the lucky winner of a new 17-foot Glasstron SX175 boat. “The ball rolled toward the hole and disappeared so I knew it had to be either in the hole or beyond it,” an exuberant Stoops said. “I didn’t even realize there was a prize on the hole; I was just excited about the hole-in-one.” Such are the events that make an outing memorable and will ensure that people will be back again the next year.

Cleanrite-Buildrite creates publicity, excitement and media coverage by selling “raffle golf balls” for $20 a piece and then having a helicopter drop the 500 sold golf balls onto a green on the driving range. The raffle ball closest to the pin wins 25 percent of the pot and if the closest ball actually drops in the hole, the lucky winner takes home 50 percent of the pot. As Chris Hill stated, “the unique nature of the raffle ensures that even non-golfers turn out to support the volunteer firefighters.”

At the end of the day, it’s all about fun and a good cause, but we all know that a poorly run event can put a damper on everything.

Dave Gard of United Services DKI in Griffith, Ind., which hosted an outing for the National Children’s Cancer Society for five years, pointed out that “a poorly executed event not only reflects poorly on your own business and jeopardizes the success of the event in the future, but can also unfortunately reflect poorly on the charity—and that’s not fair to that organization.” And of course the reverse is true. A well-executed outing is a tremendous testament to the professionalism of the organizing company. But it’s no small task.

So how does one ensure success?
• Select a beneficiary charity that has a natural tie to your business or holds a special meaning to your organization. The closer the cause is to the heart of an organization, the more likely the event is to be a success.

• Allow sufficient time for a well-planned event. Once again, the execution of the event reflects on the host company’s professionalism. Attendees will remember being treated to a fun, smoothly run event. Start the planning early, and don’t squeeze time on the day of the actual event. On a day out of the office, the attendees do not want to be rushed through the day.

• Make your event stand out. Particularly as golf outings continue to grow in popularity, “the more you make it a ‘want-to-come’ event, the better off you are as far as attendance goes,” Mike Cousino of Cousino Construction, advised.

In the past, Cousino has lured attendees with luxury vacations, cars, sporting event VIP tickets, cash prizes, even PGA pros to run a mini stroke-clinic and a “Beat the Pro” longest-drive contest. Gard agreed, adding “the more you can give away, the better your turnout will be.”

And because enticing giveaways can quickly add to the cost of hosting the event …

• Secure sponsors to provide donations and cover your costs.

Sponsors allow the host to maximize the final donation to the selected charity. Sponsorship levels may range from several thousand dollars for signage on each golf cart, donations of prizes for contests and giveaways, to a $50 single-hole sponsorship. And sponsorships provide fantastic exposure for business partners and suppliers looking to promote their company to attendees.

Bottom line: A good time for all, charity golf outings bring people together for a common cause, assist related parties in developing stronger working relationships, and allow companies to proactively help other organizations that provide support and relief for disasters and other causes, ultimately providing immeasurable benefits and returns that go far beyond the bottom line.

Dale Sailer is president of Disaster Kleenup International Inc., a network of leading, independent property damage restoration contractors across North America. DKI is proud to support its members’ efforts in taking active roles in their communities and with charitable organizations. For more information about Disaster Kleenup International, visit www.disasterkleenup.com.