By By STEVE MORRISON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – With a scintillating score of 11 under par the team of Chris Gessinger, Jim Butler, Fred Krueger, and Pat Dowling successfully defended their title, winning by one stroke over two other teams, in Saturday's 17th annual Niles Elks Drug Awareness golf tournament.
On a perfectly golf-gorgeous morning, the winning team sank 11 birdies in the 18 hole event, hosted at Plym Park.
The golf contest featured a typical scramble format that is competitive, but generally is comprised of golfers of varying levels, who are out to have an enjoyable day and help to make a contribution for the welfare of the community.
The Drug Awareness Program is a statewide effort of the many lodges of the Michigan Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Association to facilitate drug awareness education in Michigan public schools.
The local chapter of the Elks, Niles Lodge No. 1322, couples this event with a second golf tournament, the Neil Moss Scholarship Golf Tournament, held in June, to raise funds that come back 100 percent for the benefit of various Niles and Brandywine youth programs.
Co-Chairmen Roger Kluge and C.J. Leonard, along with a large committee of fellow volunteer members of the Elks conduct the event, with no administrative costs involved.
In the last 14 months the Niles Elks have contributed over $5,000 in support of Niles area programs designed to keep students involved in healthy, drug-free activities.
During the recent years, the Elks biggest thrust is to aide the Project Graduation Program held by both Brandywine and Niles High Schools. Project Graduation, a popular way of culminating the graduation evening at many local schools, ideally gives the graduates a chance to celebrate their achievement with an all night selection of activities that are chaperoned in a lock down situation, free of alcohol and substance abuse.
This year alone, the local Elks Lodge donated $2.50 per graduating senior to both Niles and Brandywine to support Project Graduation.
Other programs that have received funds from the Youth Activities Committee of Niles Elks Drug Awareness include:
Greater Niles Area Softball
Association
Elks Hoop Shoot
Elks Soccer Shoot Out
Niles Babe Ruth League
F.O.P. Little League
Neil Moss Golf Scholarship – two $500 awards to Niles High School senior scholar/athletes
Niles Elks Academic Scholarship
Pumpkin Patch for special needs children
Toys for Tots
Several local businesses gave cash contributions as hole sponsors, helping the cause: Mollison Law Offices, Modineer Corporation, Greater Niles Community Credit Union, Ideal Consolidated Plumbing, Mel Bookout State Farm Insurance Agency, and Dave Majerek State Farm Insurance Agency.
Local merchants who generously donated prizes for the raffle and awards, at the Niles Elks luncheon, following the golf outing, included: Big Lots, Dave's Garage, East Main Gardens, Family Video, Light's Barbershop, Milano's Pizza, Nancy and Suzie's Cafe, Pete's Marathon, Pro Muffler and Brake Shop, Rise n' Shine, Schilling's Car Wash, Tans Down Under, Sparkle Car Wash, The Tavern, SLR Plumbing, and Beeson Street Bar of Dowagiac.