Grand Lake Casino Charity Golf and Blackjack Tournament Raises More Than $10,000
The 14th annual Grand Lake Casino Charity Golf and Blackjack Tournament raised more than $10,000 for the Turkey Ford School District and other local charities.
Hosted by Grand Lake Casino, the annual event was played on the championship golf course at Patricia Island Country Club, in Grove, on August 25. The unique tournament offered 84 players the chance to play 18 holes of golf before competing in a blackjack tournament at the casino.
The Grand Lake Casino Charity Golf and Blackjack Tournament benefits the Turkey Ford School District and other area schools, as well as local charitable organizations.
“We were able to raise $10,000 for Turkey Ford schools, and will be sending donations to other local charities throughout the remainder of the year,” said Grand Lake Casino General Manager Dusty Logan. “We have been hosting this tournament since 2003, and, since the tournament’s conception, we have been able to raise more than $150,000 for Turkey Ford School, along with other local charities.”
The Turkey Ford School District plans to put the Grand Lake Casino’s donation to good use in a variety of ways. According to school superintendent Tamyra Larson, one of the biggest needs this past summer at the elementary school for pre-K through sixth-grade students was the lack of electricity for an outside light at the tornado shelter.
“The community knows they can use the tornado shelter, but at night, with no light outside, it can be a problem. With this donation, we will be able to get that fixed,” Larson said. “We will also be able to fix the air conditioning on the little 22-passenger bus and the brakes on the 47-passenger bus.
“Grand Lake Casino’s donation stretches our budget. We make every penny count, but we count on them to help. Being able to take care of these needs, such as building and vehicle maintenance, frees up money in the budget that can be dedicated to the children. And, the most important thing is the kids. We’ll spend the money on curriculum and new textbooks and on technology upgrades like computers in the computer lab.”
Larson said the faculty tries to make it clear to the students that the donations from Grand Lake Casino’s annual charity golf and blackjack tournaments are not a hand-out, but a partnership between the casino and the school.
“I try to teach our students that it is about helping others. We want them to understand it’s a partnership, not a hand-out,” Larson said. “We’re always willing to help them in any way we can. Our staff has volunteered at the golf tournament over the years. If there’s something we can do for Grand Lake Casino, we do.
“We’re just so appreciative of them. And, we’re just so grateful that they recognize that there is a need.”
A shotgun start kicked off the Grand Lake Casino Charity Golf and Blackjack Tournament. The day of competition featured 21 foursomes and two flights. Prizes were awarded to the top three finishers in each flight, as well as closest to the pin, men’s longest drive and women’s longest drive.
With a score of 60, the foursome of Factor, Ishmael, Weckstein and Factor won first place in the Championship flight. Second place went to Bruder, Bruder, Turner and McCloud and their score of 61. Bass, Bass, Hensley and Krahm’s 62 earned the foursome third place in a card playoff.
First, second and third place in the “A” flight were also determined by a card playoff. First place went to Phillips, Holmes, Gill and Miller with a score of 66. Allen, Douglas, Warrior and Hernandez’s 66 helped the foursome take home second place. And, a score of 67 gave Heffron, Heffron, Bullard and Dillinger third place in “A” flight.
The individual competition awards went to Kacie Douglass, women’s closest to the pin on the 11th hole; Marilyn Pickens, women’s long drive on the eighth hole; Ben Bickford, men’s long drive on the 18th hole; and Jim Hackney, men’s closest to the pin on the 16th hole.
The golf tournament was followed immediately by the blackjack tournament, which had a $3,000 guaranteed payout.
Twelve hands were dealt during each round of the blackjack tournament. The player with the most money at the end of these rounds advanced to the next. The final table of six was guaranteed a cash payout.
Blackjack tournament winners were James Best, of Peggs, Okla., Joe Hammer, of Oklahoma City, Tom Walker, of Southwest City, Mo., Jason Latimer, of Joplin, Ray Heffron, of Grove, Okla., and David Nichols, of Sapulpa, Okla.
The fun continued at Grand Lake Casino even after the final blackjack hand was dealt. Local band Western Justice performed live on the stage at Venue 655.
The golf tournament location was the Patricia Island Country Club, located at 4980 Club House Road, in Grove, while the blackjack tournament took place in Venue 655, at Grand Lake Casino, 24701 S. 655 Road.