Golfers and Otto at the inaugural Charity Golf Tournament to benefit Vera House; this year’s event is planned for May 8.
Graduate students in Falk College’s Department of Sport Management are hosting the Second Annual Sport Venue and Event Management Charity Golf Classic May 8 at Drumlins Country Club East Course beginning at noon. Monies raised will support Vera House’s comprehensive domestic and sexual violence programs. The goal of the event is to raise $20,000—while raising awareness—for Vera House.
The Sport Venue and Event Management Golf Classic includes 18 holes of golf, lunch and a dinner reception for the $150 individual entry fee. For those interested in attending the reception only, $40 tickets are available. The reception-only tickets include dinner, a silent auction and raffles to benefit Vera House.
“Partnering with the Vera House is something that is extremely important for us because of the increasing domestic and sexual abuse on college campuses happening today. Being able to gain event experience and work with Vera House to help bring awareness of the cause and the resources that are available really pushes us to put in the extra effort to make the golf tournament as successful as possible,” says Candace Sena, sport venue and event management graduate student.
The execution of the tournament is part of the sport venue and event management curriculum that requires students to organize an event to gain a direct, hands-on learning experience working in all facets of the sports industry. To date, their efforts have included selecting the community partner, course operations, marketing, communications, hospitality, fundraising and sponsorships.
This event deliberately connects event management courses, including experiential learning opportunities, with social responsibility, which is a hallmark of all academic programs across Falk College. During March, the students and many others at Syracuse University joined thousands throughout Central New York wearing a white ribbon or white wristband to raise awareness about domestic and sexual violence in support of the annual White Ribbon Campaign, which is led by men and encourages all members of the community to join them in their efforts. Students participated in the annual White Ribbon Breakfast, and met with Vera House staff throughout the semester.
“Last year in the first year of the event, the students set the bar very high. As a result, I have challenged this group to go above and beyond the expectations set forth for them. During the past nine months, the students have worked hard learning and applying the concepts of event planning to this event,” says Gina Pauline, sport management associate professor and undergraduate director. “When we started in July, the students simply thought only about the focus of planning an event and now it has turned into so much more as they now understand social responsibility. For the second year, Vera House has been a tremendous organization to partner with. The impact this project has left on each and every one of them professionally and personally is tremendous.”
The Second Annual Sport Venue and Event Management Charity Golf Classic is sponsored by KeyBank. For more information about the event, including sponsorship and donation of auction items, contact Gina Pauline, 315.443.1666 and gapaulin@syr.edu. Details are also available at www.svemgolfclassic.com.
